


Recovery and Renewal

by Tangledfangirl



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Father-Daughter Relationship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Recovery, Redemption
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:14:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 29,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24082657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tangledfangirl/pseuds/Tangledfangirl
Summary: A span of the time between the group hug and Cassandra's departure.
Relationships: Captain of Corona's Guard & Cassandra (Disney), Cassandra & Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider (Disney), Cassandra & Lance Strongbow, Cassandra & Varian (Disney: Tangled), Cassandra/Quirin (Disney: Tangled), Cassandra/Rapunzel (Disney: Tangled), Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Rapunzel, Queen Arianna of Corona & Cassandra (Disney: Tangled), Queen Arianna of Corona/King Frederic of Corona (Disney)
Comments: 61
Kudos: 227





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> My first multi-chapter fanfic! I'm not sure how many chapters it will be, but I'm aiming to go between the group hug and when Cass leaves.

The last few minutes had felt like one giant blur to all three members of the tight group hug that was still going on. For one of the three, fighting Zhan Tiri had immediately been followed by falling to the ground in a bedraggled heap as the monster used her decay spell on the entire army. Another one had just lost all of the power she hadn’t wanted in the first place, only to gain parts of it back again to fight the monster, eventually using the greatest power known to men to save the life of someone she loved. 

But for the last member of the hug, one who felt like she didn’t deserve to be part of it in the first place, felt more like her head was spinning than anyone else. Merely an hour ago, she’d been one of the main enemies the group had to fight, the living embodiment of the Moonstone. She’d helped Zhan Tiri achieve her wicked goal and suffered for it greatly. In the span of an hour, she’d gotten the Moonstone ripped straight out of her chest, had an emotional breakdown when the weight of her guilt settled on her shoulders, fought and won against a giant monster, died and came back to life with the Ultimate Power. More than anything else, all she wanted to do was curl up into a tight ball and fall asleep, forgetting everything she’d done to hurt the people she still loved. 

But as Cassandra felt Eugene’s hand still on her back and Rapunzel’s arm around her shoulders, she knew that there was nothing more she wanted than to live in this moment as long as possible. 

None of the three of them knew exactly how long they sat there, in such a close proximity that they could practically hear one another’s hearts beating. But eventually they all broke apart, looking around at each other, breathless and happy. 

“So, Cass _ an _ dra,” Eugene began, pronouncing her name in the way that only he did and Cass smiled, bracing herself for a classic Eugene insult. Although she pretended to hate it, she’d missed their banter in the past few months.

But all Eugene said was, “So, you’re back now?” 

“I hope so.” 

Cass could see Eugene’s mouth opening as if he were about to reply, but before he did, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her from the back. They were skinny little arms, cloaked in white fabric with a little stripe in the middle. She grinned, knowing exactly who those arms belonged to. 

“Cass, Cass, Cass!” Varian cried, squeezing her so tightly she nearly suffocated. “You’re… better now.” 

She gave a small chuckled and turned around so she could hug him back. “Hey, kid,” Cass softly replied, remembering the last couple times she’d seen him. He’d used his weapon to trap her in amber, which she was just beginning to realize she deserved. But the time before that… Cass bit her lip, remembering how she’d kidnapped and tortured him to get what she wanted. 

Before Cassandra could think, she was crying for the second time that day, looking around at all of the people she’d hurt. There was no way they would ever forgive her. 

“Cass?” Varian asked, breaking away and looking up at her. 

“I’m so sorry, Varian,” she choked. “I’m so, so sorry. Everything I did to you… you didn’t deserve any of it. You tried to tell me, I- I should have listened to you.” 

Varian smiled. “Told ya so.” 

Cassandra laughed and cried at the same time, wiping away tears with both of her hands. The young alchemist gave her a soft grin and rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m sorry, too-” he began, but Cass cut him off. 

“No, no, you don’t have anything to apologize for.” 

Varian shook his head. “Maybe not recently, but, uh, before you guys even left. I’m sorry, you didn’t deserve any of that either.” 

Cass nodded. “Thank you. We’re both a piece of work, aren’t we?” 

The boy nodded as well. “Yeah. And, about the amber, I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to, I promise. It must have malfunctioned.” 

“I think it’s about more than a malfunction,” Cass suddenly realized. “Zhan Tiri must have played a part in it, trying to make me angry. And she succeeded, because I’m such a-” She cut herself off, shaking her head. “But, whatever the case, I forgive you.” 

“I forgive you, too, Cass.” 

Cass raised an eyebrow. “Is that what you’re supposed to call me?”

Varian beamed. “I mean, Cassie.” 

She smiled back at his toothy grin. “That’s more like it.” 

Almost instantly, Cassandra felt another pair of arms envelop her, and she immediately recognized them as those of Lance. Her face grew hot at the close contact, since she and Lance had never interacted in this way before, but she returned the hug. Lance was so much taller and bigger than her that she felt herself melt into his big bear hug, once again feeling like she was at home once and for all. 

Lance broke away and smiled, putting his hands on her shoulders. “It wasn’t the same without you here, Cass,” he began, playfully tousling her messy curls. “Well, I mean, the  _ real  _ you.” 

Feeling even more tears began to stream down her face, Cassandra nodded, unable to say anything except for a small whimper. 

“There wasn’t anyone around to keep Eugene’s ego in check,” he teased, and Cass smiled through her tears, blinking rapidly to clear her cloudy vision. 

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I know that you’re never going to forgive me, and I know that I deserve it. I was a selfish jerk.” 

“I’m not gonna deny that you were a selfish jerk,” Lance answered with a soft grin, “But I believe in second chances. I learned that from Rapunzel.” 

Losing the little control over herself that she’d had before, Cass’ crying transformed into full-on sobbing. Lance gave her shoulder a gentle pat, trying to reassure her. Cass wiped her eyes and looked up, giving a small smile. 

“Thanks, Lance.” 

“Any time, Cass.” Lance looked over her shoulder and his face burst into a wide smile. “But, right now, I think there’s someone else you’re going to want to see.” 

Cassandra whipped her head around, her gaze locking on the man who was beginning to approach. At first, she didn’t recognize him, since her father had grown out a beard since she’d last seen him, but when she did, another immense weight settled on her, suffocating her. She remembered the last time she’d interacted with her father and her shoulders slumped. Here was yet another person she’d badly hurt, and there was no remedy in the world that could ever cure that. 

The Ex-Captain of the Guard put his arms out to her, but Cass didn’t run into them, as much as she desperately wanted to. She stopped a few feet away from him, hanging her head in shame. 

The world seemed perfectly quiet all around them, but the observers knew that it was only the calm before a storm. 

“I didn’t mean any of it,” Cassandra began, looking at the ground. “At least, deep down inside. Everything I said, it was just out of anger. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I hurt you and you didn’t deserve any of it.” 

Her father gave a slight nod, his heart breaking for his daughter. He’d never seen her so vulnerable before, not even when she was a child. “I accept your apology.” 

“And, um,” Cass continued, her eyes filling with tears as she pushed the words out. Although she knew that what she was about to say was the right thing, her heart shattered into a million pieces even thinking about saying it. “I did horrible things. I attacked the kingdom, threatened the princess, and even joined with a… a monster to get what I wanted. At least, what I thought I wanted. 

“But I know that I’ve dishonored you and shamed you and, I just want to say… If-if you don’t want to- if you don’t want me to be known as your daughter anymore, I understand. I am no longer deserving of that title.” 

Tears dripped from her eyes, stinging her face and dampening her sleeve as she wiped her eyes, doing her best to keep her control. But it was to no avail. She couldn’t look at anyone, couldn’t think of anything as she cried into her hands, her body trembling.

But, to Cassandra’s surprise, before she could crumple into a heap on the ground, she felt the arms of her father wrap around her. His embrace felt warm, comfortable, familiar, and before she could talk herself out of it, she hugged him back, burying her face into his chest. She could hear his heart beating, and the noise calmed her down, if only a little bit. With a shuddering sigh, her tears began to slow down. 

Breaking out of the hug, the ex-captain took his daughter’s face in his hands, wiping away the tears that still shone on her cheeks. He leaned in close to her, so close that only she could hear what he was saying. 

“No matter what you do,” he whispered, running a thumb along her cheekbone, “No matter what mistakes you make, you will always be my daughter. I will always love you, Cassandra, and I never want you to feel like that is something that you have to earn.”

“But, but, I’m a criminal,” Cass sputtered, but her father shook his head. 

“You messed up, honey. Really badly. I’m not going to say that you didn’t. But those mistakes do not make up who you are. Just because you’ve done criminal actions doesn’t mean that you are a criminal.” He brushed her hair out of her face and pulled her in close to him again, wrapping his arms around her small, trembling frame. 

“You’re the only real parent I’ve ever had,” Cass whispered, squeezing him tight. “My mother never loved me. I guess I’ve always known that, but I wanted to be wrong so badly that I fooled myself. Zhan Tiri even made me think that Gothel did love me, but I- she was just… just getting in my head, using me to get what she wanted. And I fell for it! I-” She cut herself off, now trembling with fear, remembering how easily she’d let Zhan Tiri get into her head and corrupt her mind. She’d seen the monster perish with her own eyes, but still, the memory haunted her like a ghost and she clutched her father tighter, feeling like a scared little girl once more. 

“No one’s ever going to harm you, little one,” her father assured her, scooping Cassandra up into his arms like she weighed nothing more than a kitten. “You’re safe with me.” 

Cass didn’t even mind that she was being carried like a baby in the sight of all her friends. She wrapped her arms around her father's neck, resting her aching head on his shoulder. “I love you, Daddy,” she whispered, meaning the words with all of her heart. “Maybe I don’t say it as much as I did when I was little, but I never stopped loving you.” 

Her father’s heart swelled with love and affection, and he cradled her closer, planting a small kiss on the top of her head. Cass hadn’t called him “Daddy” since she was ten years old and decided she’d outgrown the name. Ever since then, it had just been “Dad”, or even the occasional “Father”. He didn’t mention it, not wanting to rock the boat. 

“And I love you, sweetheart.” 

Neither of the two of them noticed King Frederic, just beginning to come to after Zhan Tiri unleashed the Decay Incantation on the entire kingdom. As soon as his gaze landed on Cassandra, he remembered all of the damage she’d inflicted on the kingdom and got up, beginning to walk over to punish her. 

But Arianna lightly touched his arm, and he stopped walking. “Fred,” she began, but Frederic cut her off. 

“Remember what that… that  _ girl  _ did to Rapunzel? And who her mother is? She deserves punishment!” 

Arianna gave him a stern look. “Fred, Cassandra is exhausted. She needs severe punishment. I’m not going to deny that. But first she needs to sleep. Look at her.” Both of them looked at Cass, who was at the moment letting out a head-splitting yawn. “It wouldn’t do any good for either of you to go and yell at her now.” 

Frederic saw Cassandra and her father, so happy together, and his heart softened just a bit. “What would I do without you, Arianna?” He slid his arm around her waist, and together, they went to go congratulate their own daughter, who just seemed to get braver and stronger every day. 


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I've always thought that Arianna would be the best comforter to Cass, so, here you go. Bonding time for the two of them that they deserve.

Cass sat alone in her room, analyzing all of the damage she’d done to it in a fit of rage. The black rocks were gone, but the destruction was still evident, including her handmaiden headpiece, crudely torn down the middle. Someone had folded it up neatly and put it on her pillow. 

She had a pretty good idea who that someone was. 

Burying her head in her hands, she brought her knees up to her chest, letting the weight of all her mistakes sweep over her yet again. They’d haunted her even while she slept, and although she’d gotten a few hours of good, clean sleep after the battle, the majority of her sleeping was now plagued with nightmares. 

Zhan Tiri. The Moonstone. Black rocks. All of those things ran in a constant loop through Cassandra’s head, that she wasn’t able to shake no matter how she tried.

A sudden knock on the door broke Cassandra out of her trance and she snapped her head up, mentally preparing herself for a second before answering, “Come in.” 

She suspected it was going to be Rapunzel or her father, possibly even Varian, but her heart sank into her toes when the Queen entered, still as regal and composed as ever. Her eyes were filled with compassion, confusing Cassandra. 

“Hello, Cassandra,” the Queen said as casually as one would say to a friend. Walking over, she sat down on her bed, her eyes drifting to the destruction before snapping back into focus.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Cass forced herself to keep her composure. “What is it, Your Majesty?” 

“Are you okay?” 

Cass couldn’t help the surprise that flew into her face at the question.  _ Are you okay?  _ What kind of question was that? Cass had attacked the kingdom and kidnapped a young boy, and now the  _ Queen  _ was asking her if she was okay? 

“I’m-” Her lips formed to make the word  _ fine,  _ as was her typical response to this question, but it died on her tongue when the Queen gave her a stern glance. 

“I don’t know if I’m ever going to be okay again, Your Majesty.” 

Surprising the young woman even more, Queen Arianna slid an arm around her shoulders and began massaging them with her strong, warm hands. Although Cass stiffened at first, the touch felt good, and eventually she relaxed and let the Queen work her magic. 

Eventually, she cleared her throat, gaining enough courage to ask the question that had been on her mind ever since she’d gone back to herself again. “Is the King planning horrible punishments for me?”

“The King and I have been discussing your punishment,” Queen Arianna answered, keeping her face neutral. “And there will be consequences, but I think you’re giving yourself enough punishment internally to make up for the damage you did.” 

Cass choked back a sob, and although the Queen pretended not to notice, she did notice, her heart breaking for the young woman. 

“You know,” she began, “This castle is lucky that you came to join it.” 

“Really?” Cass asked doubtfully. 

“Really. I remember when you were four years old, and simply having a little girl in the castle was a refreshment. You were so shy at first, but once you came out of your shell, you were always such a little delight.” 

Cassandra smiled at the anecdote, but then her smile faded after remembering what she had turned into. She doubted anyone thought of her as a  _ little delight  _ anymore. 

“And sometimes when I was really missing Rapunzel, having a little girl in the castle helped soften the ache a little bit.” 

“I’m sorry,” Cass suddenly burst out, and the Queen raised an eyebrow. 

“For what?” 

“Everything! I attacked the kingdom and I did a bunch of terrible things, all because I was hanging onto the false hope that my mother loved me! And for what? My mom never loved me!” Cass explained. “She stole your daughter and abandoned me and was a full-on jerk to everybody!” At the word  _ jerk _ , Cass smacked her fist into her hand, a single tear escaping her eye. “I guess it runs in the family.” 

The Queen was quiet for a second before giving Cassandra a side-hug, and Cassandra let her head drop to the Queen’s shoulder. 

“I wish I had a mother,” she admitted. “A real mother, one who actually loved me. I love my father, but there are some things that a dad just can’t deal with the way a mom can.” Suddenly, her head jerked up, and she looked at the Queen. “Is this… is this what it feels like? To have a mom?” 

Her eyes were earnest and honest, full of hope. It melted the Queen’s heart, showing a vulnerableness she’d never witnessed in Cassandra before the Moonstone incident. Now, in the few days since her recovery began, she’d seen so much insecurity that she supposed had always been there. Now, it was just coming out in a huge rush of emotions. 

Queen Arianna gently pushed the young woman’s head back to her shoulder, and she tried to think of the right words to say. “I hope so,” she answered. “No one can ever give you back your childhood, Cassandra, but I hope I can be a satisfactory substitute for you. If you ever need anything, just let me know.”

“I hate her,” Cass whispered, looking down at her hands. 

“Who?” the Queen asked. She had a pretty good guess of who Cassandra was referring to, but she wanted to hear her say it herself. 

“My mother,” Cass admitted, glaring at the floor. “She made me work so hard to try to be loved but she never actually loved me, and then she abandoned me just so she could use Rapunzel for her power! She doesn’t deserve to be anyone’s mother. Why would she have me if she didn’t even want me?” 

She gave out a long, shuddering sigh and her body slumped, finally getting rid of the words she’d been storing up for so long. “Sorry.” 

“You don’t have to be sorry for sharing what’s on your mind,” the Queen told her. “It’s better that way.” 

“Yeah. It’s better that way.” 

The two women sat in silence, Cass leaning against the queen. After a few minutes had passed of them just enjoying one another’s company, Cass realized her eyelids were growing heavy. Her exhaustion was beginning to grow on her, and after revealing some of the things on her heart, she figured the nightmares would lessen tonight. “Will you come again tomorrow?” Cass asked, slipping out of the hug and lying against her pillows. “I really like talking to you, but I need to sleep.” 

The Queen smiled, noticing her tired eyes and drooping shoulders. 

“Of course I will,” she answered, standing up. She began to pull the sheets over Cass, tucking her in the way a real mother would. “Sleep well, Cassandra.” 

“Thanks, Your Majesty.” 

The Queen smiled. “Call me Arianna.” 

Frederic didn’t look at Arianna when she entered their room, her head held high. “You talked to her?” 

“I did,” Arianna answered calmly, as diplomatic as ever. 

“And she didn’t try to murder you?” 

“She did not.” 

Arianna sat in her favorite chair, the one near the window, and picked up the book she’d been reading, opening to where the cross-stitched bookmark indicated her place was. She’d only read a paragraph when Fred exploded, jumping to his feet from the bed. 

“Why are we putting this off for so long! She needs punishment! Right now! Don’t you remember what she did?” 

“I’m not arguing with you,” Arianna explained. “I believe that Cassandra does deserve punishment, but we need time to decide what that’s going to be. But, underneath all of the terrible things she did, she’s a scared, lonely girl who just wants to be loved. She’s already beating herself up for her mistakes every second of the day, and I think it’s safe to say that she hates herself more than any of us. 

“She needs help, Fred. Not a lifetime jail sentence.” 

Frederic sighed and sat down. “Every time I look at her, I just think of all the things she’s done and have to restrain myself from locking her up.” 

“To be fair, that’s the Captain’s job, not yours,” Arianna pointed out, getting up to sit beside him. 

“Yes, and that’s another problem. Eugene is Captain now. I heard him tell Rapunzel that he considers… that girl to be like a sister to him.” 

“Is that a problem?” Arianna challenged. “Or an advantage?” 

Frederic opened his mouth and then shut it, hanging his head in shame. 

“Here’s what I propose we do,” Arianna continued. “Tomorrow, we tell Cassandra to come have a talk with us in the throne room. Just the three of us will be there. No one else. We will tell her what we decide for her punishment to be, very calmly and rationally.” 

“But we don’t know what that is yet!” Frederic exclaimed. 

“We will decide tonight. After that, Eugene, Rapunzel and Cassandra’s father will join us and we will explain to them the plan. I have asked Eugene to create a complete list of all of her crimes, and we will ask him, as Captain, if these seem accurate and reasonable to him. Rapunzel is our biggest witness to her crimes, and the biggest victim, and we will ask her if there were any… complications. We will work out a plan with the Captain and the princess based on their testimonies and the punishment will begin that day.” 

“That sounds logical,” Frederic answered. “But what do you mean by complications?” 

“I’ve heard rumors that Cassandra was being manipulated and urged by Zhan Tiri, not fully thinking for herself, and although I am not sure how true these rumors are, Rapunzel and possibly Cassandra herself may be able to tell the truth.” 

His temper finally diminished, Frederic nodded. “I’m sorry for getting so worked up, sweetheart.” 

Arianna stood up and kissed him on the forehead. “I forgive you.”

She began to get up and go back to her book, but Frederic stood up and pulled her in for a close, tight hug. “I love you, Arianna.” 

“And I love you, Freddy.” 


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cass learns what her punishment is going to be, and learns a much-needed fact about Eugene.

As Cass stood before the king and queen in the ruined throne room, she felt as small and helpless as a baby. Even aside from the fact that the king was a large and intimidating man, she was standing on lower ground then them, a constant reminder that she was technically just a servant girl. She knew that she would deserve whatever punishment they were about to dish out, but that didn’t stop her legs from shaking with nervousness. 

“Cassandra,” the king began, looking down at her with a stern gaze in his eyes. “What do you have to say for yourself?” 

“I’m very sorry, Your Majesty,” Cass answered, looking down at the floor. Even though work to repair the castle had begun, she still felt the wind blowing in through the giant holes in the wall, seeming to constantly whisper things to her.  _ You’re a failure. You’re a criminal. Everyone hates you.  _ “I know that I wreaked havoc on the kingdom and nearly brought upon Corona’s demise. I was wrong, and completely irrational. Do whatever you want to me. I deserve it.” 

“You also kidnapped and drugged a sixteen year-old boy, nearly committed murder multiple times, and unleashed and teamed up with a centuries-old demon,” Frederic added, his eyes tightening into a glare. Cass nearly felt herself shrink into her own body, and wished the ceiling would fall down and crush her. 

“Yes, Your Majesty,” was the only thing she could say, her normal confidence seeming to have left her with the Moonstone’s powers. She felt like the same four year-old child who, twenty years ago, had been questioned by the same king and queen about her mother’s plans for Rapunzel. She didn’t have any idea what those plans were, and remembered feeling so scared and frightened she started crying. Now, in the present, she couldn’t cry anymore. In the past few days, she’d exhausted herself of tears. “I’m very sorry, Your Majesty.” 

“‘Sorry’ won’t pay for all the damage you’ve done!” the King shouted, standing up from his chair. Cass cowered back even further, her face crumpling as if she were going to cry, but her eyes remained dry. 

“Frederic,” the Queen scolded, standing up as well. She lightly pushed him back down, and although he sat, his eyes were still narrowed at Cass, in the same murderous glare as before. 

“I know,” Cass replied, looking down at her feet. “I know that ‘sorry’ won’t ever make up for what I’ve done, and I know that no one is ever going to forgive me.” 

“That’s not true, Cassandra,” the Queen gently replied, smiling down at the young woman. “Rapunzel told me that she’s working on being able to forgive you.” 

“Well, that’s because our daughter happens to be the most forgiving person alive,” Frederic commented, some of the fire having gone out of his eyes. 

Cassandra let herself smile, thinking of Rapunzel. It was true. She’d forgiven Varian pretty easily, from what she’d heard, and where he hadn’t been quite as bad as Cassandra herself, he’d still kidnapped her mom. 

_ And I kidnapped Varian,  _ Cass’ thoughts burst into her head, reminding her of what a terrible friend -and person- she’d been.  _ Funny, the Queen would have to kidnap me for it to go full circle.  _

Shaking her head to get rid of the nasty memories, Cass looked straight at the royals. “I am ready to accept whatever punishment you see fit, Your Majesties.” 

“As you know, the renovations and repairs to Corona are still continuing,” the Queen began. “The damage was partially due to Zhan Tiri, but your rocks caused a considerable amount of the damage. Thus far, only Coronan citizens who so chose to do so are helping repair, but we have decided that we would like you to help clean up as well, for punishment for your actions which caused a lot of the destruction. This may include helping citizens repair their homes, rebuilding streets and stores, as well as replanting the flora that previously flourished all around. Xavier is in charge of managing shifts and tasks. When we’re finished with you here, you can go to him and ask where you are most needed.” 

“That’s it?” Cass asked, confusion running through her veins. “Community service? With all due respect, Your Majesty, I deserve more punishment than that. I should be locked up!” 

“That’s not all,” the Queen gently continued. “From what Rapunzel has told us, we know that a lot of your… reasoning and rationale for your actions was due to psychological trauma and manipulation. You need help, Cassandra.”

“I know I do,” Cass replied, clasping her hands together. The physical contact, even if only with herself, steadied her, and her dizziness calmed down a bit, the world beginning to feel like it wasn’t spinning.

“And not just from us. From an expert who will help you know how to deal with all of these feelings and trauma. As of now, I don’t know of anyone who will be able to help you, but I am looking, and once I do know, I will tell you.” 

Although Cassandra’s heart began racing with nervousness at the idea of counseling, she knew she needed it, and nodded, before she could psyche herself out of it. 

“Yes, Your Majesty.” 

“Will you join us back here at 5:30 tonight?” the Queen asked. “We would like to have a meeting that includes the Captain, Rapunzel, and your father. That’s three other people who will have a say in your punishments, both short-term and for the long run.” 

“Three people?” Cass asked, rapidly calculating numbers in her head. “But my father’s the Captain…” 

“Oh, no one told you?” Queen Arianna continued, somewhat surprised. “Eugene is the captain now. Your father handed the position over to him.” 

“Oh.” 

“Will you join us?” the Queen repeated, her green eyes identical to Rapunzel’s feeling like lasers against Cassandra’s eyes as she waited for a reply. 

“Yes, I will, your Majesty,” Cass finally answered. “Now, may I be excused? I have some cleaning up to do.” 

“Yes, absolutely,” Arianna approved, nudging Frederic in the side. 

“What? Oh, yes, you may go.” 

Cassandra gave a short bow, unable to curtsey without wearing a dress. “Thank you both.” She scurried out of the room as quickly as her tired body would allow, and began to make her way down the hall in the opposite direction of the courtyard. 

Yes, she planned to visit Xavier to ask him for instructions, but there was someone she needed to see first. 

  
  
  


“So, Captain of the Guard, huh?” 

Eugene looked up from his new desk, where he was carefully analyzing a map, making plans for his guards. 

“Oh, Cass! Uh, yeah. That’s me now, I guess.” 

Cassandra nodded and sat in the spare chair next to him. They sat in silence for a couple of seconds, the awkwardness growing exponentially, until Cass cleared her throat, her voice dropping a full octave. “My dad… he didn’t want to fight me, did he?” 

“No. He didn’t.” Eugene shifted in his chair, wondering where this conversation was going.

“So he turned the position over to you.”

“Yeah.” 

“He made the right choice,” Cass admitted, smiling at Eugene. “You’re going to be a great Captain. You already are.” 

“I’m sorry, Cass,” Eugene suddenly said, looking straight at her. “I know that this was your dream and that you’ve been working at it since you were a little kid, so I would understand if you’re upset.” 

Cass shrugged. “Three years ago? I would have been upset. But now…” She sighed, staring into space and shaking her head. “I don’t deserve it. You do.” 

“Thanks,” Eugene replied, giving her a soft smile. “But, honestly, he kinda threw me in at the deep end. I mean, my first day, I had to chase down a thief who stole the crown, and then, there was this attack on the kingdom-” He stopped, remembering who he was talking to. “Oh. Sorry. It’s weird, I’ve already disconnected you in my mind from all of those… things… that you did. You’ve just changed so much since then.” 

“Is that a good thing?” Cass asked, hanging her head. “Or a bad thing?” 

“Well, I suppose it’s good that you’re not ‘Moonsandra’ anymore,” Eugene continued with a smirk, “But I miss the Cass that I first met. You haven’t even insulted me yet, and, to be honest, I’m kind of offended.” 

“Sorry, Eugene, I just can’t right now.” Cass looked up, but couldn’t meet his eyes, looking over his shoulder to the wall. “‘Moonsandra’ is good, though. Who came up with that?” 

“That was Kiera’s idea,” Eugene began, his eyes lighting up. “We needed a name to call you, and Varian suggested ‘Cass-moon-dra’, but no one really liked that, so-” 

“Kiera?” Cass interrupted, her eyes snapping back to meet his. “Who’s Kiera?” 

Eugene’s face fell, remembering that she hadn’t met the girls yet. “Oh. Really? You don’t know? Kiera and Catalina?” Cass shook her head. “Angry and Red?” 

“Nope. Sorry.” 

“The Silent Strikers? The two little girls that your father forced Lance and I to mentor, to help them give up their thieving ways?” 

Memories were beginning to flash back into Cass’ head. Rapunzel’s traps. Her leg injury. The flower that she’d known the origin of, leading Eugene to follow its path. “Right… I vaguely remember hearing about those two. So they live here now?” 

Eugene rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, kinda. You see, Catalina didn’t want to settle down, and she didn’t tell Kiera, so she got mad and turned into a werewolf-” 

“She turned into a what?”

“I’m getting ahead of myself,” Eugene admitted. “Hey, you know what? I’ll get the others in here and we’ll tell you everything that happened since we got back. Man, do we have a lot of stories to tell you. I think Rapunzel’s in her room, and Varian-” 

“Sorry, Eugene, but I can’t right now,” Cass apologized, her heart aching to stay and listen, but her mind telling her otherwise. “I have to help with the repairs on the kingdom. You know, as punishment.” 

Eugene sank back in his chair. “Oh. Tomorrow, then? Right after breakfast?” 

Cassandra smiled at him, excitement rising in her chest. “I’d love to, Eugene.” 

They both stood up, one preparing to help undo the wrongs she’d done and the other simply going to find his girlfriend. Eugene put his hands on Cass’ shoulders, and looked down at her from the meager inches of height he had on her. 

“Hey, I just want you to know, if you ever need anything, you can always come to me, okay? I miss the real Cass, who you were before all this happened.” 

“I miss her too, Eugene,” Cassandra admitted, looking down. “But I don’t know if she’s ever going to come out again.” 

“I hope she will,” Eugene remarked, gently squeezing her shoulder. “Tomorrow, then?” 

“Tomorrow,” Cass replied. She ducked out of his grip and left the room, feeling like one of the many weights she carried had been lifted off of her. 

But still, there were many more weights to remove before she’d be back to herself again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter- Xavier tells a legend and Fred becomes a bit nicer. Thanks to everyone who is bearing with me through my first long fanfic!


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to come out! I had trouble being creative :) I hope to put the next few out a lot quicker.

Cassandra couldn’t ignore all of the angry stares as she walked through the streets to find Xavier. The guards all shot glares into her back, standing in front of the pedestrians who passed as they stiffened, hands at the ready on the hilts of their swords. A small child, no older than she’d been when she came to live with her father, hid behind her mother’s skirts, crying as Cass passed by. Cassandra gave her a small smile when she peeked her head out to look, but the little girl only cried harder, gripping to her mother’s legs. The mother stuck her nose in the air and ignored the young woman, walking away as fast as she could. 

Once Cass arrived at Xavier’s shop, the blacksmith was nowhere to be found. The only person in his shop was Ludwig, the baker, who was analyzing the collection of gladiator helmets that sat on Xavier’s shelves. Why Xavier had those, Cass didn’t know, and why the baker needed one, she also didn’t know. 

“Hello, sir,” Cass greeted as politely as she could. Ludwig whipped his head around and shot a nasty glare at her. 

“You…” he grumbled, shooting such sharp daggers from his eyes that Cass felt the pain whizzing through the air. “What do you want?” He had a thick German accent, and enunciated his ‘w’s, which sounded like ‘v’s, so much that Cass internally grimaced as a fleck of spit flew out of his mouth. 

“Could you please tell me where Xavier is?” she asked. “I want to-” 

“Are you going to attack him?” Ludwig shouted. “Shoot rocks from your fingers and lock him in a cage?” 

“Well, no, I was just-” 

“I will not help you destroy him! Good day, young lady!” Huffing violently, the baker left the store, slamming the door in Cass’ face. 

Although she knew she deserved it, Cassandra couldn’t help but feel a surge of pain and hurt running up in her at his hatred towards her. 

“Hello, Cassandra,” a much different voice came in from behind. She recognized that voice better than almost any other ordinary citizen’s, excluding only Lance and Varian. 

“Xavier,” she breathed, turning around to look into his smiling face. She’d known the blacksmith since she was a young child, and he was like an uncle to her, even going back to when she was fourteen and found an injured baby owl in the woods. Xavier had helped her patch up the tiny little creature, who’d become one of her longest companions. “Have you been here the whole time?”

“I have a secret room in the back,” Xavier explained, gesturing to the back wall. And even though Cassandra squinted and analyzed that wall for a good ten seconds, she couldn’t determine what the secret method of entering that room was. “What can I do for you?”

“Oh, I was wondering where I could help with the renovations and cleaning,” she answered, “The King and Queen ask that I do for my, um, for my punishment.” She looked at the ground, fiddling with her hands as a nervous habit. 

Xavier didn’t seem fazed by this, but merely nodded, pulling out a large notebook from his desk. “Which assignment would you prefer?” he asked her, running his finger along the page. “Planting trees or rebuilding homes?” 

“Who would I be working with?” Cass asked. The assignment didn’t matter to her nearly as much as how many glares she’d be getting. 

“The tree assignment is with Faith, Ethel and several other handmaidens,” Xavier continued, and Cass wrinkled her nose. She’d spent time with these girls as Rapunzel’s lady-in-waiting and knew how big of gossips they were. If she spent time with them, they’d probably spread rumors about her, only adding to the list of things people hated her for. 

“And the other is with Varian and Quirin.” 

Giving an exasperated sigh, Cassandra weighed the two options. She’d rather be eaten by a crocodile then plant trees with Faith, but the other group had its disadvantages as well. Quirin had a very understandable reason to hold a grudge against her, and Varian would probably want to talk about everything that happened. Besides, he used to have a crush on her, and that might resurface if they spent more time together. Just thinking about the fact annoyed her.

But, in the end, her own desire to lay low won out, and she gave a deep sigh as she conveyed her decision. “I’ll do the home rebuilding one.” 

“Excellent,” Xavier replied, marking down her name in careful penmanship. “You have the early shift, from six to noon, but then you’re free for the rest of the day. The assignment only goes until your assigned portion of the kingdom is complete, and then you are out of work. Quirin knows what your assignment is. You begin tomorrow.” 

“Thank you, sir,” Cass replied, giving him a polite nod as she began to exit. But Xavier called her name before she could leave, and she turned around, wrinkling her brow in confusion. When the man gestured for her to return to his desk, Cassandra did so, albeit unsure of what she was getting into. 

“Cassandra, have you ever heard the legend of the Last Regorian Soldier?” Xavier asked, folding his hands across his stomach and looking straight into her face. 

“Um, no. No, I don’t think so,” Cassandra answered, bouncing on her heels in her desire to retreat back to her room again. 

Xavier seemed to sense her restlessness and gave her a warm smile. “It’s a rather short story,” he assured her, “And I think you will enjoy it. Come, pull up a chair.” 

Beginning to realize that she couldn’t get out of this one, Cassandra pulled over a half-painted wooden chair that made a frightening squeaking noise when she sat in it. Xavier didn’t seem worried about it, though, and went on with the legend. 

“Regoria was a small nation, but very mighty. The young boys were trained from a young age to become warriors, and their army that had never lost a war. But, although she was a girl, the young princess Alessia wanted to be a part of the army as well when she was older. Her father rebuked her, saying that only boys could join the army. 

“Alessia couldn’t contain the desire in her heart, and she began spying on training sessions that her older brothers partook in, learning their skills and practicing by herself. Over the years, she became quite a good fighter, her natural strength and agility making her far superior to all of her brothers in combat. 

“On the morning of her twentieth birthday, Alessia was ready to show her father, the king, everything she had learned to earn her place in the army. But before lunchtime, the warriors of a much bigger kingdom attacked, their army nearly thrice as big as Regoria’s. The Regorian army began to fight back, but it soon became clear that they had no chance in winning. All of the soldiers fought hard, but they were outnumbered and every single soldier in the army fell.

“Just as the wicked king of that nation was about to claim the land as his own, a fully armoured Regorian warrior approached him. He began fighting this warrior, and found it hard to keep up. For this warrior was young and agile, and he was old and tired from battle. Their fight lasted less than ten minutes before the king surrendered, dropping to his knees. 

“‘Who is this brave man?’ he cried. ‘That would be able to defeat me?’

“Removing the headpiece, the warrior let her hair fall as she looked the wicked king square in the face. ‘I am not a man,’ she proclaimed, for this was Alessia, the former princess of Regoria. She drew her sword and killed the evil king, ridding the world of his wickedness. 

“Unfortunately, there were other soldiers there, and they kidnapped Alessia, bringing her to the castle. The evil king’s son took the throne and took Alessia as his queen. He wasn’t nearly as bad as his father and eventually Alessia found that she was in love with him. But she still remembered her life in Regoria, and although she had her legacy as the last Regorian soldier, she wished that her father had been able to see her victory.” 

Xavier looked closely at Cassandra, waiting for her reaction. Although the young woman had never really been into fictional stories and things like that, she had a deep passion for history, and this story felt more like an excerpt from one of her history books than a fantasy. She found herself enjoying the story, though she had no idea why Xavier told her this one, specifically. 

“Why are you telling me this?” she asked him, looking down at the floor. 

“Because you remind me of Alessia,” Xavier matter-of-factly explained, and Cass felt a lurching in her stomach that she couldn’t quite explain. 

“Why?” she asked, biting her lower lip. “She was a hero. And, me… I’m the opposite of a hero.” 

“You’re both young female warriors,” Xavier told her, his eyes shining as he looked at her. “You both sacrificed yourself for the sake of the kingdom.” 

“But I was the one who caused the danger,” Cassandra whispered, her voice suddenly gone into hiding. “Not the one who prevented it.” 

“Zhan Tiri would have found a way even if you hadn’t been involved,” the blacksmith explained. Cass shuddered at the name but forced herself to listen anyway. “Your involvement allowed you and Rapunzel to have an advantage over the monster, since you knew her secrets. And your taking of the Moonstone saved Rapunzel’s life.” 

Seeing Cassandra’s uncertainty, Xavier gave her a comforting smile. “You sacrificed the most sacred thing you have- your life.” With a small nod, Cass looked up and returned his smile. 

“Thanks, Xavier.” 

“Any time, Cassandra.” Xavier stood up and held out his hand. Cassandra shook it, his hand so much bigger than hers that it got easily enveloped. “If you have any questions about your assignment, come talk to me.” 

Cass nodded and said, “I will, sir. Thank you.” 

Giving her a single, respectful nod, Xavier sat down, immediately resuming his work. Feeling just slightly better about herself, Cass left, preparing for some alone time before the meeting tonight. 

“Is that the… completed list of her crimes?” Frederic asked, raising one eyebrow at the young Captain of the Guard. 

Eugene double-checked his list and nodded, his face much too nonchalant for the situation. “Yup, that’s about it.” 

Cassandra shifted her weight uneasily. Her crimes were more numerous than she’d counted on and they’d taken quite a long time to read. The Royals could change their minds any minute and send her to jail. Or, even worse, an execution, but there was no way Rapunzel would ever be okay with that. 

The king nodded at Nigel, who opened up the Corona law book and flipped to a page somewhere in the middle. “Those crimes are worth at least ten years in jail by ancient Corona law, Your Majesty.” 

“No!” Rapunzel burst out, stepping forward. The king gave his daughter a stern look, but Rapunzel wouldn’t cave. “She can’t go to jail.” 

“And why not?” Nigel asked. “With all due respect, Your Highness, your friend is dangerous. She might go crazy again at any minute!” 

“That. Wasn’t. Cassandra.” Rapunzel spat out her words with a determination that Cassandra had never seen before. “She was… she was a pawn of Zhan Tiri. Everything that she did was manipulated and orchestrated by Zhan Tiri. You aren’t blaming the Brotherhood for everything they did!” 

“True, but we are blaming those who brain-washed them.” Nigel glared at Cassandra from her position next to Eugene. She looked at her feet and felt Eugene’s hand on her shoulder, giving her a comforting squeeze. Looking up at him with a small smile, she put her own hand over his and squeezed back, the contact soothing her. “Cassandra chose to make her own decisions. She wasn’t mind controlled.” 

“Do you want to know the reason why I didn’t even try to leave my tower until I was almost eighteen?” 

The room grew quiet, everyone staring at Rapunzel. 

_ Where is she going with this?  _ Cass wondered, knowing that the story would somehow involve her mo- Gothel.  _ Is she going to compare me to Gothel?  _ She’d already made the comparison in her head; to hear it from her best friend would be much worse. 

“It’s because I was manipulated,” Rapunzel continued without waiting for a reply. “Gothel got into my head and made me believe that staying in that tower was best for me. I didn’t know any better. How is this different?”

“Rapunzel, darling.” The King got up and put his hands on his daughter’s shoulders. “That is much different. You were merely a baby when you were taken. That was all you ever knew. Cassandra was an adult and could have made her own choices.” 

“Dad, you don’t know Zhan Tiri. She’s a master manipulator, and she knows how to make people do what she wants.” 

“You don’t know Zhan Tiri either!” Frederic contradicted. “You weren’t manipulated by her.” 

“She wasn’t,” a small voice came in from the back of the room. “But I was, and I know what it’s like.” 

Varian stepped into the light, holding his head high. Everyone in the room was startled, since they hadn’t even known Varian was in there. 

“Zhan Tiri came to me in a dream,” Varian explained, “And told me how to find the sun incantation. It was weird, like I tried to stand against her but couldn’t even if I tried. And that turned out to be awful, since the clash of the incantations caused her to be released. Not to mention, the snowstorm that she caused was what made me… go crazy a couple of years ago. You can’t blame Cassandra for what she couldn’t control.” 

The boy’s eyes were so earnest as he looked at the King that Frederic felt his heart soften, remembering his own trial. He hadn’t even defended himself, but now, he was defending this woman who had done much worse things than he ever had. 

“Cassandra, do you have anything to say for this?” the King asked, his gaze drifting to the young woman in the front. Slightly startled, Cass stepped back, breaking out of Eugene’s grip. 

“Your Majesty, I-” She paused, collecting her thoughts as she took a few deep breaths. “Zhan Tiri did get in my head. I never would have done anything if it weren’t for her, but, like you said, I am an adult. I could have thought and made my own decisions to stand up to Zhan Tiri. There were times when I knew that what I was doing was wrong, but I was so fueled by anger and hatred that I pushed that down. I deserve to go to jail, so if you want to take me, I won’t complain.” 

She stepped forward, her heart pounding in her chest as she surrendered herself to the king. Frederic stared her straight in the eyes, his decision final. 

“Cassandra will not be sent to jail,” he proclaimed. “Instead, she will continue her community service and do whatever tasks I ask of her until we decide on a long-term plan.” 

At the sudden eruption of cheers from everyone except a very pouty Nigel, Cassandra felt herself growing suddenly lightheaded with relief and surprise. She looked the king in the eyes and mouthed a quiet “thank you” as Rapunzel hugged her from behind. 

The king smiled, the look on her face erasing any doubt he’d had about his decision. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: Alessia from Xavier's legend is based off of Eowyn from the Lord of the Rings. I love those books and movies.


	5. Chapter Five

Enjoying the privacy and quiet after the meeting, Rapunzel and Eugene sat together in Rapunzel’s room, leaning into one another for comfort. Although Eugene’s face had a calm exterior, Rapunzel could tell that his mind was running like mad. She just had to wait for him to be ready to tell her about it. 

“Do… do you think we were too easy on Cass?” Eugene asked, looking straight into his girlfriend’s beautiful hazel eyes. 

“What do you mean?” Rapunzel asked cautiously. Where she saw how Cassandra’s actions were awful, and how they would look to those who didn’t know the whole situation, she understood her best friend more than anyone else in the world, excusing only Cass’ father. She knew what was running through her head, and how Zhan Tiri was able to get into it. 

“Well, we don’t know that she was being mind controlled,” he began, “In fact, Cass told us that she wasn’t.” 

“I know that she wasn’t,” Rapunzel explained, and Eugene furrowed his brow in confusion. 

“But, Sunshine, you said-” 

Cutting Eugene off by putting a finger over his mouth, Rapunzel continued the story herself. “But she was being manipulated.” 

“Isn’t that the same thing?” 

“She was made to believe that all of her actions were truly the right thing to do. And she knew it wasn’t, deep down inside, and she could have made the right choices, but that’s why we’re punishing her. We aren’t punishing the Brotherhood because they couldn’t control it. Cassandra could, but it wasn’t entirely her decision. That’s where Zhan Tiri comes in. Every time Cass began to change her mind, Zhan Tiri was there, giving her another reason to turn against us. It’s not black and white.” 

Eugene bit his lip, nodding to himself. “Okay. That makes sense. Thanks, Blondie.” 

Rapunzel rested her head on Eugene’s shoulder, letting out a deep sigh as she did. Wrapping his arms around her, Eugene gently kissed the top of her head, her newly cut brown hair smelling sweet and clean. 

“It’s good to have her back,” Rapunzel murmured, and Eugene didn’t have to ask which ‘her’ she was talking about. 

“Yeah, it really is. Even if she’s not quite herself yet.” 

“I don’t think she’s ever going to be back to herself again,” Rapunzel admitted, and even though it pained him to agree, Eugene nodded. 

“What’s she going to do once her punishment is done?” Eugene wondered aloud. “Because she’d hate to become a handmaiden again, even if it’s for you, and she’s not legally allowed to become a Guard anymore, so…” His voice trailed off with uncertainty, and he could feel Rapunzel shrugging her shoulders. 

“I don’t know, Eugene. I really don’t know.” 

Cassandra didn’t know where to start looking for Varian and Quirin. She checked for them at their house, but the father and son weren’t anywhere in sight. That didn’t really surprise her, though, since it was nearly six and time to begin work. She began to wander about aimlessly through the town, looking for any telltale signs of them. Like alchemy. Or explosions. 

“Can I help you, young lady?” 

Hearing Old Lady Crowley’s voice, Cass turned around, grateful for the help. “I’m looking for Varian and his father, so-”

“You.” Crowley’s voice dropped a full octave as she realized who she was helping. “You want to kidnap him again? Maybe imprison the father in your Mind Trap again? Huh? Is that what you want?” 

“I’m just helping them work on the renovations.” Cass held up her hands in surrender, feeling her heart sink. “They’re part of my team, assigned to me by Xavier.” 

Crowley grunted in disdain, but nodded her head to the right. “I saw them down there, working by the entrance of the road to Old Corona.” 

Cass gave her a quick nod and began to walk down the road. “Thank you, ma’am.” 

She had no doubt at all that she was going in the right direction, because before she’d even gone a hundred feet, she heard a voice calling her name. 

“Hey, Varian.” She greeted the young boy, walking over to him with as much a smile as she could muster. 

“What are you doing here?” he asked. “Oh, I can only talk for a bit, because I have to start work soon. Dad said Xavier assigned someone new to work with us.” 

“That’s me.” 

Varian’s eyes brightened and his face broke into a smile. “Really? Wow!” 

“It’s part of my punishment,” she explained, looking at the ground. “Community service, since most of the damage done was my fault anyway.” 

“Zhan Tiri did have a lot to do with it.” 

Cass gave him a wry smile. “And who was stupid enough to release Zhan Tiri?” 

“Oh.” 

“Varian!” Quirin called from a distance. “Come on, it’s time to start!” 

“Okay, Dad!” Varian called back, turning to Cass before he went over. “Don’t worry, Cassie, I’ll show you the ropes.” They walked over to the worksite to join Quirin, who was already rolling up his sleeves to begin. “Dad, I found our new girl.” 

“Aah, well you can show her how things work around her,” Quirin began, turning around with a genuine smile. His smile quickly faded and was replaced by an artificial one when he noticed Cassandra. “Oh. It’s you.” 

“Hello, sir.” Cass tried to be as polite as she could, but she knew how Quirin was thinking of her. Just the girl who took the Moonstone and imprisoned him under her control, where he did despicable things without even meaning to. 

“Varian, why don’t you show her what to do?” A lot of the enthusiasm had dropped from Quirin’s voice, and he turned around, returning to his work. 

Varian’s face fell at his father’s reaction, but he obeyed anyway. “Sure, Dad.” He led Cassandra over to the house that Quirin was working on, but made sure to stand between her and his dad. “Uh, so we’ve already finished building this one, but we still need to paint it. So, here.” He handed her an extra paintbrush and moved the bucket of paint to sit in between them. They began working in silence, not saying much except an occasional “you missed a spot”. 

Cass broke the silence with words that were at the top of her mind, demanding to be spoken. “Uh, thanks for standing up for me last night,” she told Varian. Quirin’s head jerked up, but he only began painting more rapidly, glaring at the wall. 

“No problem,” Varian replied, giving her a glowing smile. “As soon as Rapunzel told me about the meeting, I knew I had to sneak in. I don’t think the King was very pleased, but I did what I had to.” 

“I’m glad they’re not sending me to jail,” Cass admitted, her voice growing quiet. “I’d hate to spend all day with nothing but my own thoughts. Sometimes the memories are even worse than it was in the moment.” 

“You don’t have anything to complain about!” Quirin whirled around, his eyes on fire as he glared at her. “You weren’t the one who was enslaved and made to do things you never would do in the first place! In fact, you were the opposite of the slave. You were the master.” 

Cassandra’s heart sunk into her toes as Quirin’s words reached her. “Sir, I know that nothing I say or do will ever make it up for the things that I did to you. You and all of the Brotherhood.” 

Pain surfaced in Quirin’s eyes as he put down his paintbrush to cross his arms. “I had to fight my own son. We all had to fight our own king, the very one who trained us. And the king nearly killed his son, who he’d just found after twenty-five years. All of that is your fault, because of your own insecurities.” 

Varian walked over to his dad and put a hand on his arm, trying to calm him down. “Dad…” 

But Quirin wouldn’t hear it. He shook out of the boy’s grip, and Varian couldn’t very well fight against his father. King Edmund had trained him, after all, and he was strong after years of farming and physical work. “You dragged all of us into a war we didn’t want to be a part of, and I can never get those moments of my life back.” 

“I’m really sorry-” Cass began, but Quirin cut her off, turning his head so he wouldn’t have to look at her. Every time he saw her face, with her curly hair stretching just past her chin, his mind converted that hair to blue and he remembered all of the terrible things she’d made him do. 

“Do me a favor, Cassandra.” Quirin spat out the name as if it were venomous. “If you must work with us, stay as far away as possible. I don’t want you to hurt me or my son ever again.” 

“Yes, sir.” 

Cassandra grabbed the can of paint and walked to the other side of the house, tears threatening to spill in her eyes. 

Just yesterday, she’d been beginning to think that somehow, everything was going to be okay again. 

But now, she was finally beginning to realize that she’d only ever be known as the dangerous threat to Corona for the rest of her life. When people looked at her, all they could see was the girl who’d teamed up with Zhan Tiri, the girl who’d threatened the princess, the girl who’d taken over Corona. None of them could see past any of that to the hurting, lonely person underneath who’d just wanted to prove that she was more than just the lady-in-waiting to the princess. 

The worst part, though, was that Cassandra knew she deserved it. No one would be looking at her like that if she hadn’t done all of the things she had done. It was her fault, she knew, and no one else’s. They didn’t know any better. Cass had known better, but she’d pushed down her real self for the person she thought she was.

Glumly, Cass picked up the paintbrush and began painting, glad to have something to keep her mind off of all of the self-hatred and deep regret that was coming back after days of being beaten down. 

“Dad…” Varian paused, unsure how to talk to his father after he’d learned that Varian had defended the very person he’d just yelled at. “Dad, Cassandra’s here for a punishment.” 

“She should be in jail,” Quirin answered, his voice low and dangerous. “But she isn’t, thanks to you.” 

“Jail isn’t the right option,” Varian protested. “She’s not dangerous anymore, Dad, she’s hurting and angry, angry with herself. Jail would only make things worse, since she’d have time for all of the hate and anger to grow and fester. She needs time to heal, and the best place to do that is here, with all of her friends.” 

“Friends?” Quirin stopped working, looking at his son. “You still consider her a friend?” 

“I consider Cassandra a friend. The real Cassandra, not the Cassandra that imprisoned you in the Mind Trap and kidnapped me. She just needs to find herself again.” 

“She can find herself while staying away from me and from my son.” 

Quirin’s eyes were burning with anger, and Varian knew the conversation was over. He sighed and continued to paint, trying to think of a way for his father and his friend to get along. 

But he knew that wouldn’t be easy. 

Probably even impossible. 


	6. Chapter Six

“And then the other Flynn Rider told me that his name was Brock Thunderstrike. Can you believe that? Brock Thunderstrike! How crazy of a name is that?” Eugene was doubled over in laughter, slapping his knee with amusement. “And then- and then we…” 

He was laughing so hard he couldn’t talk, and he gestured for Rapunzel to continue the story. The princess did eagerly, and Cassandra found herself smiling as she listened to the tale, something she hadn’t done in months. 

After every single story the group told her of the time she’d been away, they would ask her if she’d had too much, if she wanted to save the rest for later. But Cassandra was having too much fun to stop. Every narrative was an equally delightful insight to everything that she’d missed. 

For instance, the story about Rapunzel trying to get her parents back together? Cass could just picture the adventurous, daredevil Queen Arianna and awkward King Frederic trying to whip up a romance with limited success, although they certainly seemed happy right now. And when a glowing Lance talked about all of his success with cheering the people up when the red rocks began to take over, she felt proud along with him, although the red rocks were of her own doing. 

But with every story, every moment that all the others had shared and laughed about together, Cass felt another stab of pain and guilt deep inside of her. She could have been there with them. She could have been there trying to figure out how to keep Little Big Guy out of sight or going on a hunt to find Herz der Sonne’s lost treasure. But, no, she’d been off trying to perfect her Moonstone skills and dive into the depths of her deepest rage, all because she’d listened to Zhan Tiri. 

“So, Brock and Eugene and I, with help from Max, eventually defeated the Baron and locked him in jail. He deserved it.” 

“What did you do with Brock?” Cassandra asked, taking a sip of the hot chocolate Varian had made for all of them. “After all, he’s a criminal.” 

Rapunzel wiggled her finger at Cassandra and shook her head. “ _Flynn Rider_ is a criminal. Not Brock Thunderstrike. So, the Captain decided to let him go. Right, Eugene?” 

“That’s right, Sunshine.” Having recovered from his fit of laughter, Eugene swung his arm around Rapunzel’s shoulders, pulling her close. “After that, I decided to accept the position of Captain. I told Lance all about it, but I don’t think he was listening.” 

Lance put a hand over his heart in mock offense. “How dare you, sir. I was trying to listen, but _someone_ blew up the Flynnolium in my ears. It wasn’t my fault!” 

Varian, apparently the “someone” Lance was referring to, let out an exasperated sigh. “Lance! You’re the one that added more Flynnolium when I wasn’t there!” 

“Well, you… you invented the Flynnolium. So there.” 

Shaking his head, Varian sighed again. “ _Cassandra_ believes me. Right, Cassie?” 

Cass shrugged, the edges of her mouth twitching into a smile. “I don’t know who to believe. But if you’d tell me the story, maybe I would.” 

“Oh, so that’s how it is.” Varian’s tone was sarcastic, but his mouth was shaped into a huge smile. “Alright. I’ll tell you.” 

“You’ll mess it up!” protested Lance. “You’d better let me tell her.” 

“Well, I… I said it first. _Anyways,_ I decided to create a device that would warn the kingdom if-” Varian’s face fell in the middle of his story and he struggled to find the right words. “If- if someone like, uh, maybe the Saporians, or possibly even, you know, maybe Stalyan or… if someone else were to attack, like-” 

“Like me?” 

Cassandra’s voice was small as she looked down at her hands. She knew the answer as well as any of them, and knew why Varian would try to avoid it. 

Everyone else looked around at each other, no one wanting to say anything. 

It was Eugene who spoke up first. “Well, yes,” he admitted. “Like you. I’m sorry, but-” 

“Don’t be sorry. You’re the Captain, and you have to protect the kingdom from whoever threatens it. My father would have done the same thing.” 

She gave him a small smile, and Eugene smiled back, but despite the outward appearance, some of the previous jovial mood had left the room. 

But not all of it. Varian continued the story, and Cass smiled along with everyone else as he told about Lance and the girls sabotaging the Rooster device and Lance’s temporary tinnitus because of the huge explosion. 

In fact, the night ended on a good note, and Cass’ mind wasn’t focused on guilt and self-deprecation. She was thinking about what she would have done if she’d gotten stuck inside a magical seashell prison and wondering what it would be like to be a werewolf. 

At least, until she fell asleep. 

_Cassandra…_

Cass was standing in the hallway of a large house that seemed to go on forever. As she crept toward an open door, the voice calling her only seemed to get louder. 

_Cassandra… Cassandra…_

She stepped into the door, drawn to it as if in a trance, and nearly jumped out of her skin when the door closed behind her, locking her in wherever she was now. Although she tried with all of her strength to open it, she couldn’t even turn the handle. 

Deciding she’d have to find another way out, Cass ventured further into the strange room, looking like a forest but feeling like a claustrophobic closet. The voice, even louder now, continued as she entered, and as much as she tried to block it out, she couldn’t. 

_There you are, Cassandra._

Cassandra turned around to see a young girl, ghostly in her body but so real in her voice, even more real than Cass felt she was herself. The girl wore a smile, so genuine that Cass couldn’t help but trust her. 

_I’d nearly given up on you._

“Who are you?” Cassandra asked, the words seeming like they weren’t coming from her at all. 

_A friend, or, at least, I’d like to be. Come._ The girl took Cassandra’s hand and began to pull her away. Although Cass felt like she could walk through her if she tried, the girl was so ethereal and unearthly, her hand felt like it would be impossible to escape. 

Suddenly, a scream broke through the calm atmosphere, and Cassandra turned around in shock to see a terrified Rapunzel, her long blonde hair gone, being enclosed in a cage of black rocks. 

“Raps!” Cass cried, and tried to go nearer to her, but the ghostly girl held her back. 

_She doesn’t matter,_ the girl explained. _Only_ _I_ _matter right now. I can give you what you’ve always wanted._

Eugene appeared next to Rapunzel, the entire Royal Guard behind him. His eyes were a blazing flame of anger as he stared at Cassandra. 

“You did this!” he yelled, pointing his finger straight at her. “You deserve to be punished!” 

The Guard began yelling and running at her, their swords drawn and pointed at her. 

Cass tried to escape, but the grip of the girl was so tight, and it was so loud, and there was so much going on all around her. She felt blood on her hands, but was it her own blood or someone else’s? Everything was sticky and hot and loud and it was a mess of yelling and shoving and screaming, and her head hurt so much and all that she wanted to do was get out of there- 

Waking up in a cold sweat, Cass sat up in bed, her breathing feeling hot and heavy in her chest. She tried to wrench her hand out of the ghostly girl’s grasp, but she wasn’t there. The only thing encasing her hand was her blanket, tied into a loop. She shook it off, and tried to push the tears back as the whole nightmare began racing back into her mind. 

_It was just a nightmare,_ she told herself. _Nothing but a nightmare. Zhan Tiri is gone and dead._

She puffed up her cheeks with air and slowly let it out, letting her heart rate return to normal. Squinting to see the clock, she saw that it was nearly five o’clock in the morning. She’d have to get up soon anyway to get to work on time. 

Her stomach clenched into a tight knot even thinking about going back to work, and she knew breakfast was out of the question. It had been out of the question for several days now, as she woke up to nightmares so hideous she wouldn’t be able to choke down food if she tried. Sometimes the dreams consisted of Rapunzel or Eugene getting hurt by her own hand, and sometimes they involved the Moonstone itself. Her mother, Gothel, had made an appearance in a few, but Zhan Tiri was in all of them, and that was the most hideous part.

Come to think of it, she hadn’t eaten lunch for several days, either, but she didn’t care. Very rarely was she hungry. It was unhealthy and Cassandra knew that, but she never had the stomach to choke down anything except for dinner. That was probably because everyone else was watching and making sure she ate enough at that meal, contrary to the other two. 

With a sigh, Cassandra got up and got ready for work, slipping on clothes that made it easy to blend in in a crowd.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I keep torturing poor Cass! It's gonna get better for her soon, I promise :)


	7. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Over 100 kudos! This is the most I've ever gotten on anything, so thank you so much, everyone! It means a lot to me! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Lance and the girls laughed harder than they ever had, their stomachs shaking with the guffaws that radiated through every part of them. Catalina stood in the middle of the three, jumping to try and catch a ball that they were throwing over her head, but she was too short to catch the high passes that Lance and Kiera were throwing to one another. But, even through the frustration, she laughed along with them, enjoying the wind on her face and simply spending time with two of her favorite people in the world. 

Finally, with a growl, Catalina changed into her werewolf form just quick enough to snag the ball from the air, shrinking back down to a girl as soon as she had it safely in her possession. 

“Nice move,” Lance congratulated her, turning to Kiera as soon as he was finished. “Your turn.” 

“That’s cheating!” Kiera protested. “It’s not like I can just turn into a werewolf whenever I want to.” 

“It’s not cheating, it’s strategizing.” Catalina switched places with her sister and threw the ball over her head to Lance. Although Kiera jumped as high as she could, her fingers didn’t even grace the ball. Finally, with a huffy sigh, she crossed her arms. 

“I give up.” 

“Okay.” Lance caught the ball from Catalina one last time and returned it to its proper place in a bucket with sports equipment. “What do you want to do now?” 

“I’m hungry,” Catalina announced, and Kiera’s hearty nod indicated that she agreed. 

“Well, let’s go get lunch, then.” Taking each girl by the hand, the three of them began to walk down the streets of Corona, searching for a good restaurant to fill their stomachs. 

The rich, meaty smells of a small hamburger joint just a block away immediately got their attention, and the three immediately headed toward it, like magnets attracted to a paper clip. The owner, a young, likable man with the hints of a mustache just beginning to grow above his lip, immediately took their orders and got to work on their food. 

Catalina and Lance immediately began a discussion about the suspicious-looking character further down the road, but Kiera, sitting across from them, squinted to look over their shoulders. 

“Is that Varian?” she asked, noticing the teenage boy working on repairing a house a bit down the street. A big man stood next to him, and she naturally assumed it was Quirin. Varian was talking to someone, but it wasn’t his dad. His back was turned and he seemed to be addressing the wall, although she had a good feeling he wasn’t. 

Lance and Catalina both turned around to see what she was talking about. “It is Varian!” Catalina exclaimed. 

“What’s he doing?” Lance shifted his chair to be able to get a better look. “And who’s he talking to?” 

At that moment, Cassandra came out from behind the house, holding a paint can. She was wearing an old shirt, which was now splattered with paint. Saying something to Varian, she handed the can over and exchanged it for a different one, which she used to begin painting the door frame further down the house. 

“Can we go and say hi?” Catalina asked, pulling on Lance’s shirt sleeve. “Please?” 

“Of course, and I’m coming with you.” 

The three of them got up and began walking over to the other three, hands extended in greeting. 

“Hi, Varian!” Catalina called, getting up and running over to her friend. Varian jumped a bit at the sudden noise, but turned around with a welcoming smile on his face. 

“Catalina! Hi!” The young teenager gave her a lopsided grin and then turned his attention to the other two. “And Lance and Kiera, too. Hi!” 

“What are you doing?” Kiera asked, examining the house they were working on painting. 

“Dad and I are helping rebuild the kingdom after everything that happened.” Varian gestured to Quirin, who was still focusing on painting, his face grave and stony. He didn’t even seem to notice the three of them standing there. Only the wood and the paintbrush in his hand seemed to matter at all. “And Cassie is helping us.” 

Cassandra heard her name being mentioned and turned around to give the others a shy smile. She didn’t know the girls that well yet, and she knew Quirin wouldn’t like it if she came any closer to his precious son. So, she kept her distance. 

But even from nearly six feet away, Lance couldn’t ignore the bags under her eyes and the way her skin had grown even paler than usual. His brow creased in worry as he looked at her tired face and shaking limbs, trembling under the weight of the paint can. She tried to focus on her task, but it didn’t escape his notice how she struggled to pay attention to the painting, going over the same spot over and over again and leaving others completely dry. 

“Can I paint some?” Catalina asked. Varian gave her a grin and handed over his paintbrush. 

“That’s not fair!” Kiera exclaimed. “I want to paint, too!” 

“You can paint when I’m done.” 

Kiera sighed but nodded her head, beginning a game of rock soccer with Varian. 

While the girls were distracted, Lance went with his gut and walked over to Cassandra. Before she even noticed he was approaching, he gently took the paint can from her hands, set it down on the ground and set the paintbrush on top of it. Cass was startled but let him do it, her greyish-green eyes wide open in confusion. Taking her by the shoulders, Lance walked her a few feet away from the others and out of their hearing range. 

“Hey, are you okay?” Lance didn’t let go of his grip on her shoulders, but turned to face her, for the first time noticing the substantial height difference between them. Before the Moonstone incident, she’d always seemed taller, due to her confidence. But now, she seemed smaller than she actually was, since the realization of her mistakes had drained the confidence from her like air from a balloon. 

“Yeah, I- I’m okay,” Cass answered, but didn’t meet his eyes. 

“Are you sure? Because you look like you haven’t slept in a week.” 

Cassandra’s eyes slightly narrowed, but more with self-defense than with irritation. “What do you mean?”

Lance knew that this conversation wasn’t quite going in the direction he’d intended, but he pressed on, anyway. “I can tell that you’re really tired. Do- do you need the girls and I to take over for the rest of this shift? Because we absolutely could.” 

“My shift is almost over.” Cass gestured to the clock on a nearby building, which read 11:50. “Only ten minutes left.” Lance’s eyes pressed for more information, and Cass sighed, knowing she couldn’t possibly ignore that. “I- I didn’t sleep too well last night. But I’m fine, I promise.” 

Although Lance knew she wasn’t giving him the whole story, pressing her would only make her shut down even more. 

“Okay. But, if you ever need anything, I’m right here. I promise.” 

Cass barely had time to nod before Lance had her in a hug, her trembling body pressed tightly against his. Her first instinct was to tense up, making it difficult for him, but she realized pretty quickly that it actually felt pretty nice. She was so stiff from sleepless nights and standing painting for nearly six hours that a hug from someone who could practically wrap her whole body in just his arms was exactly the thing she needed, even though she hadn’t known it until just now. 

Letting herself relax, she let him hug her, feeling some of the tension from today melt away. Lance didn’t mind that she wasn’t returning the hug. He knew that all she was able to do was be comforted herself, and, besides, she needed it. He didn’t.

When the girls and Varian began to notice, Lance let go, giving her a quick smile before walking over to the girls. 

“I think our food is probably ready.” 

Catalina and Kiera both nodded at this, the matter of lunch too pressing at the moment to think of what they had just witnessed. 

But they both knew they’d be confronting him about it later. 

Cassandra watched Lance walk away with the girls, still too stunned by what had just happened to even think about continuing to paint. 

Apparently she hadn’t been quite as subtle as she thought. If even Lance was beginning to notice how tired and sick she actually was, then maybe she was worse off than she’d thought. She leaned against a part of the house that was still yet to be painted, and let her whirling head settle as she closed her eyes and took deep breaths, feeling like she could fall asleep right then and there. 

Sure, Varian had asked her if she was feeling okay, and she’d told him the same thing she told Lance, but he was generally more observant than the ex-thief. Besides, she spent nearly all day with him. He was bound to notice eventually. But Lance? They’d only seen each other in group gatherings or in passing for the past couple of weeks. If he was noticing, things must be getting pretty bad. 

She had no idea how long she was standing there until the clock struck twelve, jerking her out of her sleep-like state. Shaking her head to return to reality, she returned the paint to the case where they kept it, leaving the worksite before either Quirin or Varian had a chance to say anything. 

As soon as she returned to her room, she collapsed on her bed, trembling like mad. Maybe she could just sleep for a couple of hours. Or even just rest. But her eyes closed and she began to drift away before she even began to consider what sleeping in the middle of the day would do to her. 

And maybe it would have been a good idea, if not for the nightmares that were growing steadily worse. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hadn't meant for this to be a Cass/Lance bonding chapter, but... I guess it just happened. :D I like where it went, though. See you in the next update!


	8. Chapter Eight

Cass opened her eyes to find that she was standing in the middle of a clearing. It was a dark, dismal place, with the telltale chill in the air of approaching winter. But winter wasn’t anywhere close. In fact, it was directly in the middle of summer, the hottest time of the year. No, this chill was due to a deep, sinking dread in the air that wasn’t related to the temperature at all. 

“Is anybody there?” she called, not quite sure what she hoped the answer to be. As if by a reflex, she reached over her shoulder for her sword, but it wasn’t there. 

_There you are, Cassandra!_

A cheerful voice came from behind her, but Cassandra knew better. Her mouth turned up into a snarl as she turned around to face the all-too-familiar face of Zhan Tiri. Without a weapon on her, she put her fists in front of her in a defensive stance, ready to fight if need be. 

“You…” she growled, her breathing heavy and hot in her chest. “You… you’re dead. We defeated you. Get away from me.” 

Zhan Tiri’s blue, ethereal body melted away into grey as she approached Cassandra, a smile on her face that could only be interpreted as sympathetic. 

_Too late, Cassandra,_ she chided, gesturing to the young woman’s hair. _I’ve already won._

“What?” 

Cassandra grabbed a strand of her hair and gasped at the transformation. Her hair, normally chestnut with lighter brown highlights, had reverted into electric blue, turquoise highlights streaking through. 

“No, no, no,” she practically pleaded, stumbling back with the terror of it all. “Please, please, no.” She didn’t know who she was pleading with, but it didn’t matter. Looking down at the rest of her, her body was, once again, covered in the skin-tight black bodysuit that only came with the Moonstone. The stone itself was glowing brightly in her chest, pulsing in and out as her anger and desperation grew. She couldn’t go through this again. Not again. 

Zhan Tiri let out a maniacal laugh as she watched Cass fall to her knees, desperately trying to pull the Moonstone out of her chest. But it was to no avail. As much as she tried, pulling with all of the muscle she had, the Moonstone wouldn’t budge. 

_It’s your choice, Cassandra,_ the demon taunted, grinning psychotically as she watched Cassandra suffer. _You chose this. You chose to betray Rapunzel. And you are going to follow through with it to the end._

Right in front of her, Cass noticed for the first time that Rapunzel was lying on the ground, unconscious and the sundrop once more, her long blonde hair having returned. Zhan Tiri gestured to the princess, turning to Cassandra with an eager grin. 

_Here she is. Destroy her. It’s your destiny._

Cass shook her head as vigorously as she could, backing up away from Rapunzel. “No. I- I can’t. She’s my best friend. It’s not her fault that my mother abandoned me. It’s not her fault that I wasn’t good enough.” 

As she continued to back away, a cold, sinking dread settled directly on Cass’ heart as she backed straight into a person. The figure was around Cassandra’s height, and as Cass turned around in shocked surprise, she saw that the figure looked just like her as well. 

“Hello, Cassandra!” the woman trilled, her voice laced with mock cheerfulness. 

With a horrified gasp, Cassandra flinched away from the woman, memories immediately began rushing back into her head, memories she’d tried to ignore. 

“Mother?” 

“My dear girl, you’re so grown up now!” Gothel continued, the faux pride in her voice making Cass sick to her stomach. “Why, you look just like your mother!” 

“I’m nothing like you,” Cass snarled, backing up. 

“No, I believe you’re just like me!” Gothel still had a smile plastered to her face, about as believable as any of Eugene’s lies. Cassandra knew that her mother was anything but happy to see her, and she felt the same way herself. “Neither of us let everyone else get in our heads. We do what is best for ourselves, and only ourselves.” 

“You abandoned me!” Cass yelled, drawing the Shadow Blade and holding it out. “You don’t get to tell me who I am.”

“Then who does?” Gothel sneered, her friendly persona melting away into cruelty. “You’re not capable enough for that. You’re nothing but the same scared little girl you were twenty years ago!” 

Cass’ breathing felt rushed and forced, and it was everything in her power to keep herself from hyperventilating. 

“You’re dead,” she whispered. “You’re gone. You can’t hurt me anymore.” 

“I’ll always be alive,” Gothel jeered, looking directly at her daughter. “In your mind.” 

“No!” Cass shouted, closing her eyes. “No! Get away from me! Get away-” 

“Cassandra?” 

Cassandra’s eyes flew open, and she had to let her eyes adjust to the light before she realized who was calling her name- a young girl, her bright red hair standing out against the dark wardrobe she was standing in front of. 

“Are you okay?” 

It took nearly a minute before Cassandra was able to speak, as she let her heart rate return to normal and her breathing relax. Her mind swirled around her as she did her best to get back into reality and focus on the moment. Once she finally was able to think straight, she finally comprehended who was talking to her. 

“Catalina.” The caring green eyes of the girl in front of her, full of warmth and compassion, helped Cass think straight as she sat up in bed, slumping back against the headboard, her body too weak to sit up just yet. “What are you doing here?” 

“I- uh, Kiera and I are here at the castle to find Lance, and we’re playing hide-and-seek, and I heard you yelling in your sleep.” 

“What time is it?” Cass asked, rubbing her eyes as she lifted the blankets off of her. 

Catalina shrugged. “I think it’s around eight or so, but I’m not really sure.” 

Letting out a groan, Cass hopped out of bed, still wearing her clothes from earlier. “Rats. I’m late for work.” 

“It’s… eight at night, not eight in the morning,” Catalina assured her. 

“Oh.” Cass slumped back down in bed, realizing that, although she’d slept for nearly eight hours, she didn’t feel any less tired than before. 

“We’ve already eaten dinner, since none of us wanted to wake you up, but I’m sure there’s some left over, if you want it.” The younger girl played awkwardly with a loose thread on her sleeve, not meeting Cassandra’s eyes. 

Cass gave her as genuine a smile as she could manage, saying thank you but knowing her stomach was tied into too many knots to even think about food. This nightmare had been the worst one yet, and she knew that she probably looked awful, pale and visibly shaken. Luckily, kind-hearted Catalina wasn’t going to mention it. 

“Okay, well, um, do you need anything?”

Cassandra shook her head. “No. But thank you.” 

Nodding and flashing a quick smile, the young girl scurried out of the room. Cassandra listened to her footsteps as she left, running down the hall and growing fainter and fainter. She gave a heavy sigh and managed to pull herself out of bed, changing into fresh clothes and running a brush through her messy, tangled hair before venturing out into the hallway. 

She planned to get some fresh air and maybe spend some time with her father before it was time to fall asleep yet again. 

She did not plan, however, to run into Eugene in the hallway. 

“Hey, Cassandra,” his voice came from behind her, pronouncing her name in the way that only he did. Cass stopped in her tracks, closing her eyes with annoyance. It wasn’t so much Eugene himself that she was annoyed by, more so the fact that she didn’t really want to talk to anyone at the moment. 

“Hi, Eugene.” It was everything Cass could do to force herself to be polite as she turned around to face Eugene. He was smiling, but the smile dropped from his face when he saw her pale, sunken cheeks and the haunted look in her eyes. 

“Are you okay?” he asked, coming over and pulling her into a hug. It was worded like a question, but Cass knew by the commanding tone in his voice that it wasn’t so much a request as a command. 

“I’m fine, really.” Cass tried to break out of his grip, but he was strong, and she was still weak and tired. “Just tired.” 

“That’s not all it is, I know it.” Eugene gave her a stern look, the edges tinged with a deep worry. “I know what tired Cassandra looks like. And this Cassandra is not just tired.” 

Her shoulders sagging, Cass admitted the truth that she felt comfortable saying. “I had a nightmare. But it’s alright, honestly. I’ll be fine.” 

“What was it about?” 

“What do you think it was about?” 

Eugene’s mind ran through several options: Zhan Tiri, Gothel, the Moonstone… and he nodded, although he couldn’t tell from Cass’ face which one of the options it was. 

“Sorry.” 

“It’s not your fault. I just need some time to recover.” 

Eugene took the hint and stepped back, examining her face once more. “Okay. But if you need anything-”

“I’m fine.”

“Do you… do you want some dinner? There’s some left over in the kitchen, if you want it. We had spaghetti.” 

“I might get some later.” 

Both Cassandra and Eugene knew that she was lying, although neither mentioned it. It hadn’t escaped Eugene’s notice how the bones in her shoulders were more evident than ever, the way he could feel her ribs through her skin when he hugged her. 

“Take care of yourself, Cass. Please.” 

His voice sounded more like pleading now than like a command. 

“I- I’ll try to.” 

Even though this wasn’t nearly satisfactory enough of an answer for Eugene, he nodded and walked away, blinking back a few tears as he did. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so you know- my family is coming in town tonight and I may not be able to post another chapter for a couple of weeks. Hang in there, though, because the next chapter is a doozy :)


	9. Chapter Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for waiting so long! I had a good time with my family, but, as an introvert, it's good to be able to sit and write in peace without little cousins pestering me :) So, without further ado, here you go!  
> Side note- it's now the two-month anniversary since this fic began! Time really does fly!

“Can you pass me the white?” 

Cassandra picked up the nearly full white can of paint and handed it to Varian, whose skinny arms could barely hold the weight. 

“Thanks.” 

“You’re welcome.” 

The three of them had said no more than a few sentences all day, and it was nearly time to call it quits. After another restless night, it was all Cassandra could do to keep her eyes open, and Varian was waist-deep in worried thoughts about his friend. Quirin wasn’t a huge talker even on the best of days, and he preferred this to the endless chatter that usually occurred when his son was around one of his friends. 

Not to mention the fact that they were nearly done painting this house. Varian and Quirin were finishing up the trim on the windows right now, and Cassandra was repainting an area that she’d apparently neglected yesterday. After this was just a few minor repairs to the house just neighboring it, a final coat of paint and then they were finished for good. 

Although Cassandra was more than ready to be done with long, hot days with a boy who usually talked her ear off and his father who refused to look at her, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease whenever she thought about the days after the service was finished. She no longer had a future in Corona. Becoming a Royal Guard, the career she’d dreamed about her whole life, was now impossible. She knew it was her own fault, but that didn’t do anything to ease the pain. After all that had ensued, the mere thought of becoming a handmaiden, Rapunzel’s handmaiden, again, made her queasy. 

_ I have no future here. _

No matter how many times she thought those words, the stark realization every time was almost too much for her to bear, the notion that the place she’d lived her entire life was no longer a place she could stay. Everyone here hated her, whether or not they were willing to tell her that. Some of them sure were willing; that was obvious by the constant glares and scowls she received when she was in public. But even Rapunzel and Varian, who’d said multiple times that they understood and forgived her, couldn’t possibly forget the awful things she’d done to them. 

She remembered, as a young child having just been adopted by her father, taking her first tour through Corona. The Captain had shown her all of the prime destinations, including the Sweet Shoppe, the bookstore and Xavier’s shop, making sure she knew her way around the kingdom before she grew old enough to begin exploring it by herself. 

“Corona is one of the most incredible places in the world,” she could remember him telling her as she sucked on a lollipop made by Monty. “There’s always something new to learn and discover here, even when you’ve lived here as long as I have.” 

Another memory overtook this one, slightly more recent than the rest. When she’d been fourteen years old, her tutor had unexpectedly moved away, and she’d had no choice but to go to boarding school. It was in Corona, but so far along the outskirts that it didn’t feel like home at all. That place brought back bad memories for Cassandra, so bad that she just focused on the good ones: About a week before the first semester ended, fourteen year-old Cass could bear it no longer and left, escaping back to Corona in the night. 

She remembered the joy that had risen up inside of her in spite of all that had happened, when she finally came into view of the Coronan castle and marketplace. She was home. This was where she belonged. Not at some stupid boarding school. Here, with her father and her routine, was where she needed to be. 

But ten years later, the place that she’d previously thought of as the only home she’d ever had was now the only place she couldn’t be. 

_ I can go to Ingvarr _ , she thought, but immediately dismissed the idea. She didn’t like the Queen of Ingvarr any more than the Queen liked her, and besides, they’d probably heard the stories about the blue-haired convict who’d taken over the kingdom using stolen magical powers. Even if she were to be welcomed there as a citizen, the position that had been offered to her a few years ago was no longer an option. 

Equis, Pittsford, Vardaros… all of the names of nearby kingdoms and regions flew through her head, but she dismissed each one of them. Vex and Quaid were sure to recognize her, and she certainly didn’t want to explain things to them. Pittsford was one of the seven kingdoms, and they probably knew about the whole ordeal. She’d be arrested before she was in the city for five minutes without Rapunzel to fight for her. Even if Equis didn’t know what had happened, which was unlikely, King Trevor and his brood of seals were almost as bad as the stuck-up princesses from any other kingdom she could think of. 

Even though she wracked her brain through as many other kingdoms as she could think of, only one place remained in her head that she could go without being either seen or rejected:

Her old cottage. 

The more she thought of it, the more she realized it was the only possible option. She’d be alone there, removing any possibility of being recognized by others. It was far from the castle but still in Corona, so she wouldn’t have to cross any borders or pass any questioning guards. She’d be able to pack enough food for a while before she left, and once that ran out, it would probably be pretty easy to find wild plants in the woods. She’d had to scrounge the woods for food to cook for herself and Gothel when she was a child, so she knew them pretty well. 

Not to mention all of Gothel’s notes and research that was down there. When she’d been there with Rapunzel, she’d been so focused on being angry with the princess that she hadn’t really paid attention to any of that. But maybe if she studied it, along with the plethora of diary-mirrors that were there, she could learn more about her mother’s involvement with Zhan Tiri and her own birth, perhaps even learning who her birth father was. 

Thinking about this possibility made Cassandra genuinely excited, at least for a few minutes. She may be the daughter of a king, or a great warrior. Perhaps even a descendant of Demanitus himself! 

But every time she dared to hope that something good could possibly come out of who her mother was, her stomach clenched into a tight knot, remembering her awful first four years of life. No, her father was probably just some chump who’d been seduced by Gothel’s youthful beauty and ran away as soon as he realized a child would mean a lifetime commitment. 

She slumped back against the part of the wall that the blazing sun had already dried the paint on, closing her eyes in an attempt to block out the heat. Sweat was dripping down her face and her head was pounding in a blazing headache. Looking to her right, she saw that both Varian and his father had brought water bottles, the ice just beginning to melt. She could practically taste the cold water on her tongue, but the thought only made the heat seem worse. 

Her stomach growled in agony, a feeling she’d gotten used to ignoring. For a second, she wondered how long it had been since she’d eaten a substantial meal, but tried to ignore the thought when she realized that it had been far too long. 

_ What was I thinking about?  _ she wondered, her thoughts slipping through her grasp like trying to grab a slithering snake. Every time she held onto it for even a second, it escaped, and she was left groping in vain for a thought that escaped her. 

She knew Zhan Tiri was long gone, but she could still hear the demon’s voice echoing in her head. 

_ You lost before you even began, girl.  _

As much as she wanted to believe that the demon was just trying to get in her head, she knew it was all true. 

Her thoughts swirled around like a tornado as the heat blazed down. 

_ I don’t belong here. I don’t belong anywhere.  _

_ I messed up.  _

_ I’m a failure.  _

_ Failure.  _

She closed her eyes, feeling her grasp on reality begin to slip away from her. Only one thing was running through her mind. 

_ Not wanted.  _

_ Not wanted anywhere.  _

Vaguely, somewhere in the mass of senses that weren’t making any sense to her right now, she heard Varian calling to her. 

“Cassandra? Cassie, are you okay?” 

But she couldn’t reply, couldn’t even make sense of the words in her head. 

Her mind raced and her head throbbed and all she wanted to do was sleep, sleep without the interruption of nightmares. The weight of her thoughts, slowly becoming heavier and heavier over time, became too much for her enervated, dehydrated body to bear… 

And, before anyone could even try to stop the inevitable, she collapsed on the ground in a dead faint. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha- a cliffhanger! Please don't hate me though- updates will be pretty soon!


	10. Chapter Ten

The only sound was the paintbrush clattering to the ground as it dropped out of Cassandra’s limp hand. 

Varian’s breath caught in his chest, and for just a moment, he couldn’t do anything except for gape. Maybe if he closed his eyes, and then opened them again, what he thought had just happened wouldn’t have happened. 

But when he finally came to his senses, his legs reacted before his mind could, and he was by her side, kneeling beside her unconscious body. He could feel his father’s eyes burning into the back of his head, waiting to see what he was going to do. 

Picking up her hand, Varian pressed his thumb into Cassandra’s wrist, trying to calm the beating of his own heart so he could see how serious the problem was. He breathed a sigh of relief and turned around to face his father, not letting go of her hand. 

“I can feel her pulse. That’s good.” 

“That is good,” Quirin replied, with more sympathy than Varian would have expected. “Is she breathing?” 

Varian’s head snapped back around, and he nodded when he saw her chest moving up and down, slowly but steadily. 

“What happened?” he wondered aloud, studying her face as if that would give him an answer. “Did she have a heart attack?” 

“Not a heart attack.” Quirin came over and kneeled next to his son, putting one hand on his back for comfort and taking Cass’ other hand, examining it for himself. “You wouldn’t be able to feel her pulse so clearly if that were the case.” He gently set her hand back down and picked up the paintbrush, putting it back in its place. 

“What do you think it is?” 

“She fainted. That’s all. It makes perfect sense. It’s directly in the middle of a hot day, we’ve been standing for a while, and she doesn’t have a water bottle.” 

“I think it’s something else, too,” Varian admitted, causing his father to raise a curious eyebrow at him. “Yesterday night, I talked to Eugene, and he says she hasn’t been eating, or sleeping very well, either. Every waking minute, she’s beating herself up inside for what happened, and I guess it all became too much for her to bear.” 

“She chose to do all of that, son.” 

“I know she did. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t regret it.” 

The father and son stared at each other for a good ten seconds, until Quirin looked away, an inexplicable guilt rising inside of him. 

“I’ve done bad things too, Dad.” Varian felt the familiar pain and guilt as he admitted the words, remembering trying to crush the very girl who lay in front of him in the hand of a giant robot. “Really bad things. We all have, some of us worse than others. She’s a totally different person now. So instead of being mad at her, we should help her.”

Nodding was Quirin’s only possible reaction for a good few seconds, but eventually, he smiled down at his son. “You’re right,” he acknowledged. “We’ve all messed up, and I am no exception to that.” 

Varian tried to smile as well, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. It couldn’t, not when an unconscious Cassandra was lying on the ground before him. 

“We should get her inside,” he suddenly realized. “Do you think you could carry her?” 

Quirin smiled to himself. Even though his son was approaching adulthood, he was still like an oblivious little boy sometimes. 

“Son, I’ve been training in muscular strength since I was a child. I’d be ashamed if I couldn’t carry someone as small as Cassandra.” 

Varian’s cheeks colored slightly, but he didn’t say anything in response. He moved out of the way, allowing his father to move even closer. As gently as he could, Quirin scooped her up, standing up as soon as she was safely in his arms. 

Joining his father, Varian stood up and turned toward the castle. Together, they went down the long sidewalk, constantly looking for signs of stirring from Cassandra. But the only movement from her was her breathing, steady and consistent as they kept walking. They got a few odd looks from passersby, but most people seemed to acknowledge that the situation was serious and moved out of the way to let them pass. 

Once they reached the wing of the palace where Cassandra’s friends were most likely to be, they were lucky enough to run into a group of them: Rapunzel, her parents, Eugene, Lance, and even Cassandra’s father were standing there, having a very animated conversation. 

All of the joviality, however, turned into concern when Varian and Quirin entered. Rapunzel immediately ran over to the three of them, her eyebrows knitted tightly together with worry. 

“What happened?” she asked, putting her hands on Varian’s shoulders. The boy shrugged, looking her straight in the face. 

“We were working and she just… passed out.” 

“It is pretty hot outside,” Queen Arianna came in, demonstrating the fact with the short-sleeved, thin dress she currently had on. 

Determined as usual, Rapunzel immediately took action. “Okay. Nobody panic, it’s all going to be okay. Quirin, follow me to the medical wing. She needs to lie down. Varian, Eugene, go find a doctor. Everyone else… you can come with me. We’ll probably need a good number of people to assist the doctor and get the things they need.” 

Eugene saluted and gave her a nod, in awe of her even in times of trouble. “At your service, m’lady. Come on, Hair Stripe.” 

The two of them left, so quickly Rapunzel didn’t have time to make sure they were headed in the right direction. 

“Okay. This way, everyone.” 

Only a few minutes later, Cassandra, still blissfully unaware of the chaos going on around her, was comfortably arranged on a bed in one of the medical rooms, her body temperature just beginning to return to normal in the coolness of the castle. Having just explained the situation to Rapunzel, along with all of Varian’s theories, Quirin stood awkwardly in the door, waiting for more instructions. 

Rapunzel, Lance and Cassandra’s father, on the other hand, sat by the bed while the King and Queen went to the kitchen to arrange a plate of food and drink for when she woke up, returning in a few minutes with some water and a substantial plate of fruit, cheese and crackers. The ex-Captain wasn’t participating in conversation with the other four, simply looking worriedly at his daughter and holding her limp hand. 

Noticing his distress, Rapunzel put one hand on his shoulder. “She’s going to be alright. The doctor will be here soon, and it’s not anything too serious.”

Her father merely nodded, not able to say anything. 

Luckily, he didn’t have to. At that very moment, Varian and Eugene entered the room, a middle-aged man with more salt than pepper in his hair close behind them. 

“This is the patient?” he asked, walking over to the bed. Rapunzel nodded and got up so he could take her seat, walking over to stand by Eugene. 

The doctor took his bag off of his shoulder and removed from it a thermometer and cloth. He stuck the thermometer in Cassandra’s slightly open mouth, and, while he waited, asked the others a few questions. 

“This young man told me what happened on the way here,” he explained, gesturing to Varian, who swelled with pride at the words ‘young man’. “But I need some more information. How old is she?” 

“Twenty-four,” Rapunzel answered, feeling a tinge of sorrow when she remembered that the last birthday had been while Cass was still her enemy. 

“Height?” 

“Five foot six. At least, around there.” 

“Weight estimate?” 

“Small,” Quirin came in, glad to be useful at last. “I know. I carried her in here.” 

“Your son told me. And thank you for that, sir.” 

“Do you need a precise estimate?” he asked, suddenly worried he hadn’t been quite useful enough. 

“That’s enough to go on. But thank you.” 

He took the thermometer out of her mouth and squinted at it. “Her temperature is slightly high, but pretty close to normal. She’s severely dehydrated, but if you give her a good amount of fluids, she’ll be fine. Just let her rest, and give her things to eat and drink, and she should be able to get up and be back to normal in a couple of days.” 

“Thank you so much.” Rapunzel opened her bag and began rummaging through it. “How much do you charge?” 

The man smiled. “Oh, it’s no problem. I rarely have anything to do these days, so a little excitement is all the pay I’ll need. Besides, I’m always a fan of a good villain redemption story.” He shot a wink to no one in particular, then began to head out the door. “Come get me if she gets any worse.” 

“We will.” 

Everyone sat in complete quiet for a couple of minutes, just waiting for Cassandra to stir. Quirin was the first to break the silence, walking over to Varian as he cleared his throat. 

“Well, we should probably clean up the worksite and explain to our replacements what happened,” he began, stopping Varian’s silent protests with a stern look. “We’ll come and check on her later.” 

“I think we should do the same,” Frederic agreed, getting up and offering Arianna his hand. She smiled and took it, turning to Rapunzel as she left. 

“Let me know if you need anything else, Rapunzel.” 

Smiling back, the princess nodded. “I will.”

The four remaining simply looked around at one another, speechless. Finally, Rapunzel cleared her throat. 

“Lance, you can leave too, if you want.” 

Lance considered this for a second and then shook his head. “I think I want to be here, actually. Cass is my friend too, and I’d feel pretty bad if I bailed on her now.” 

Rapunzel nodded, not even trying to hide the eager gleam in her eye. “Okay. That’s admirable, Lance.” 

He opened his mouth to say something else, but before he could, everyone’s attention was distracted by a movement from Cassandra. Her fingers, still held tightly in her father’s hand, began to move slightly. Everyone held their breath, waiting to see what would happen… 

And then her eyelids gently fluttered open. 

“Dad?” she murmured, his face being the first one she could see. 

“Cassandra,” her father replied, smiling down at her, with so much affection it was as if she’d been in a coma and not merely fainted. 

When her gaze drifted to the other three, smiling above her, she simply blinked. Everyone waited for her inevitable next question, already mentally rehearsing their answer. 

“What happened?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally, I'd planned this chapter and the next one to be one chapter, but I got writing and decided it was way too long for one chapter. But this makes 15 chapters total, at the end, and that's a nice round number, so I'm pretty happy with that.  
> Anyway... sorry for another cliffhanger! Thank you to everyone who's following along! Keep the comments coming, they're very encouraging!


	11. Chapter Eleven

“I- I was outside,” Cass continued, staggering over the words as she did so. “And everything started spinning and now I’m here.” 

“You fainted, Cass,” Rapunzel gently told her. “But you’re gonna be okay. Quirin carried you inside, and the doctor came, and he said you’ll be fine as long as you stay inside, in the cool, and get some fluids. Here.” She handed her the glass of water, which Cass eagerly took, although she had to remove her hand from her father’s to do so. Before the disappointed look could even register on his face, though, she made up for it by leaning her head against his shoulder. The ex-Captain smiled in surprised pleasure and began stroking her hair, looking down at her with the same affectionate smile. 

“Quirin couldn’t have carried me in,” Cass protested, furrowing her brow in concentration. “He hates me.” 

“He didn’t seem to,” Eugene commented. “In fact, he seemed pretty concerned for your health.” 

“He- he did?” 

Both Rapunzel and Eugene nodded in unison, to which Cassandra took another slow sip of water, giving a slight smile to no one in particular. 

“Why?” she suddenly burst out, reminding her father of when she was a young child, asking all sorts of questions and not satisfied until she received the complete answer. “Did the doctor say why I- why it happened?” 

Exchanging a glance, Eugene and Rapunzel made an unspoken agreement about who would answer this question. 

“Cass… how long has it been since you’ve eaten a full meal?” 

Eugene’s face was completely genuine, not with any of the snarky sarcasm that he usually embodied. Cassandra wilted, looking down at the navy blue bed sheets with guilt in her eyes. She hadn’t been taking care of herself, and they all knew that. If things had gone on much longer without such a significant warning sign, then there could have been some consequences worse than fainting.

“Too long.” 

Nodding, Eugene stepped back. “That’s why.” 

“I’m-” Cass’ sentence was cut off by a yawn, but she continued easily when she recovered. “Hungry. And tired, too, I guess.” 

“Of course you’re hungry!” her father exclaimed, but not with anger. “You’ve barely eaten anything in the past week.” 

Cassandra gave him a sheepish grin but didn’t reply, her cheeks turning a light shade of red.

Lance was in action immediately, handing Cassandra the plate of food. 

“Here you go.” 

She gave him a simple smile in thanks and began to devour the snack. It was nothing but some bread, cheese and fruit, but, to Cass, it could very well have been a gourmet dinner consisting of truffles, beef wellington and the finest seasonal fruit. 

Smiling at the realization that everything was going to turn out okay, Lance gestured to the door. “Well, I should probably go check on the girls,” he reluctantly announced. 

Cassandra took a few-second break from eating to nod and smile. “Okay.” To the others, she sounded just as reluctant as him, but Cass didn’t even sense that in her own voice. “See you later?” 

Before he could talk himself out of it, Lance picked up her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Of course.” 

And just like that, he was gone, before Cass had time to fully comprehend what had just happened. 

Exchanging a glance that only they could, Eugene and Rapunzel made a silent agreement. “Looks like your dad has everything under control, so we should probably go too.”

“Of course we’ll come to check on you,” Rapunzel quickly added, “But I don’t want to overwhelm you.” 

“Thanks, Raps,” Cass replied, giving her as cheerful a smile as she could manage right now. “For everything.” 

Even though Rapunzel didn’t know quite what she meant by that, she nodded and smiled, taking Eugene by the hand as they left the room together. 

Not much conversation occurred between the father and daughter at first, since Cassandra was busy eating every crumb on the plate given to her. Her father simply watched her, smiling with an odd mixture of concern and relief for this girl he loved so much. 

Once Cassandra finished eating, she downed the glass of water and leaned her head back on her father’s shoulder, exhaling deeply. 

“Are you okay, honey?” her father asked her, watching as she closed her eyes and let herself sink into his embrace. 

“I will be,” she murmured. “Just give me time, and I will be.” 

“What were you thinking about?” 

Cassandra opened her eyes and looked up at her father, her eyes narrowed in concentration. 

“What do you mean?”

“Before it happened. What were you thinking about?” 

“I was- uh, nothing, really.” 

Her father saw right through her lie and gave her a wry smile. “Cass, I know you too well. Sure, it’s a hot day and you didn’t have any water, plus, you hadn’t eaten for a while, but normally you would realize you were about to faint and get yourself inside before something bad happened. You wouldn’t actually faint unless you were too lost in thought to pay attention to yourself. So what were you thinking about?” 

Cass didn’t reply for a second or two, just sat and thought about the question. Her father waited. He knew she needed time to open up, time that others weren’t often willing to give her. 

“No one’s ever going to completely forgive me,” she began. “I know that they say that they do, but it’s impossible. I mean, I wouldn’t forgive myself either.” 

“Honey-” her father began, but Cass was on a roll now. She continued talking without even letting him get another word out. 

“They all hate me. Except for maybe Rapunzel but that’s only because she’s the single most forgiving person in the world. Out of everyone, she has the most reason to hate me. Besides her, everyone else says that they forgive me, but they’re probably just lying to make me feel better. How could they? I did awful things, and I’m not even being punished for it. Not really. I should be in jail. Not just running loose. 

“What if I snap again? The Moonstone’s gone, but that doesn’t mean it’s the only magical object in the world. How do I know I’m not going to just break again and do other things, worse than before?” 

Her voice trailed off and she did her best to fight back the tears. It had been a couple of weeks since she’d last cried, and now her tear ducts had been refilled, ready to be of use again at a moment’s notice. 

“I just don’t want to hurt anyone else.” 

She finally gave in and let the tears fall, silent tears streaming down her face as she leaned into her father, resting her head on his chest as he held her, not wanting to let her go again. 

He remembered when she was a little girl, caught up in the memories and intense feelings about her mother, and she’d come to him at every hour of the day. It didn’t matter whether the sky was still an inky shade of black or he was in the middle of a meeting with his men. He’d always be there to hug her and give her a shoulder to cry on. Even if he was about to fall asleep or her appearance caused the guards a bit of inconvenience, it didn’t matter. He would always be there. 

He would always be there. 

And even though she was taller and had put on some muscle, she was still the same little girl that needed him to be there for her. 

And be there was exactly what he was going to do. 

“You’re not going to,” he answered in response to what she’d said last. “There’s not a Zhan Tiri anymore to manipulate you. You’re not going to make those mistakes again.” 

“It wasn’t all Zhan Tiri.” 

“What do you mean?”

“All of that was inside of me already. The revenge, the treachery, all of that stuff. Zhan Tiri just happened to be really good at pulling it out.” 

“Well, if she pulled that out, then it’s all gone now, right?” 

Cass wiped her eyes and looked up at him with the touch of a smile. 

“Yeah, I guess it is.” 

Her father noticed her tired eyes and gently pushed her head back on her pillow. “You’re completely worn out, honey. Go back to sleep.” 

“Are you going to leave? While I sleep? Please don’t leave.” 

The look in her eyes broke her father’s heart, reminding him, again, of when she was a tiny child. 

“I’m never going to leave you, Cassandra. I will always be here.” 

He stroked her hair and began whispering the words to a lullaby. She’d never been a huge fan of lullabies, even as a child, but now seemed like an appropriate time to use one. 

Cassandra listened as his voice gradually transitioned into singing, his low, gravelly voice not always on key but completely genuine. 

And she fell asleep with a smile. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Four more chapters to go! I hope you all are enjoying it. Keep the comments coming, I love to hear what you guys think! Any predictions for the rest of the story?


	12. Chapter Twelve

Just like he promised, Cassandra’s father was there when his daughter woke up. He was there until Cass assured him that she was fine, that she needed some time by herself to recover. And even then, it was hard for him to leave her, still looking so small and helpless under the multitude of blankets Rapunzel had insisted she have. Cass had taken several of them off, but still, there was a plethora on top of her. 

She slept on and off for most of the days to follow, recovering from more than just the fainting. There was a lot she still had to recover from, from not eating enough to spending six hours a day in the burning sunlight, even going back to recovering from the Moonstone itself. Even though the others knew she was an adult and could take care of herself, they still worried about her, taking turns sitting by her bed and talking to her, entertaining her and making sure she was fully stocked on both food and water. 

At the present moment, Lance was the one sitting with her, relaxed on a chair beside her bed, reading a book Catalina had recommended. Cassandra was also reading, having given into Eugene’s pleas and finally picking up one of the Flynn Rider books. She never would have admitted it, but she was actually enjoying the stories of risk and adventure. 

The silence was interrupted by the bang! that came with Cassandra closing  _ Flynn Rider and the Lost Treasure of Scotia.  _ Lance jumped in his seat and looked up from his book featuring elves and trolls and talking animals. 

“So, what’d you think?” 

Cass simply nodded, unwilling to form a complete answer just yet. “It was… different. Different from any book I’ve ever read before,” she finally responded. 

Lance chuckled and nodded. “What books do you read?” 

“Oh, nonfiction, mostly. History, biographies, things like that. But maybe I should read more fiction. It was actually kind of interesting.” 

She sat up to take a sip of water and gestured to Lance’s book. “And what, pray tell, are  _ you  _ reading?” 

Sarcasm dripped from her voice and Lance smiled. Finally she was turning back to the Cassandra that he’d known before all the Moonstone nonsense had happened. 

“I’m not a reader, really, besides Flynn Rider stories, but Catalina recommended this one to me and I couldn’t say no to her. It’s pretty good, actually. Kind of weird, but good.” 

Smiling, Cassandra settled back down and turned to face him. “You really do love those girls, don’t you?”

The suddenness to the way she spoke surprised him, and it was a full second before he nodded. “Yeah. I do.” 

They sat in silence for a full ten seconds before Lance cleared his throat to speak, having been lost in thought. “I’ve only told this to a few people so far.” 

“You can trust me.”

And Lance had no doubt that he could. 

At least, now, he could. 

“Those girls have been on their own for a long time now. And they’re independent, but no child should have to grow up without a home to live in. I’m thinking… well, I’ve been thinking about asking them if, if they want…” 

The words had been so certain in his head, but now, when he tried to voice them, he couldn’t quite do it. 

“If what?” Cass prompted, and he did everything he could to collect his thoughts. 

“I’ve been thinking about adopting them.” 

Cassandra’s eyebrows shot up to her hairline, and for a second, Lance was worried that she was about to laugh at him. But instead of laughing, she began to smile, her eyes full of a kindness he’d only seen a couple of times before. 

“I think they’ll like that.” 

“You think?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Do you remember what it was like when your father adopted you?” 

She started at the question, but Lance didn’t see the familiar expression that always came onto her face when she was closing herself off. She was really trying to think of an answer, but it took a couple of seconds. 

“I was little, but I do remember a few things. It’s all coming back to me since I figured out who… well, you know.”

Lance did know, and he saw the pain in her eyes as she tried to continue. 

“I remember the king asking me questions about my mother, and I remember crying a lot, but I don’t really remember anything about the legal process and things like that. But when I was a little older, maybe eight or nine, I stumbled across some of the papers in Dad’s office saying that I was officially his daughter. There were a lot of them. I was still too little to really understand what they meant, but there were quite a few signatures, both from my father and me, although mine was more like scribbles than anything else.” 

She smiled at the memory and shook her head. “Of course,  _ Gothel  _ never taught me how to write, but I did pick up how to sign my name pretty soon after Dad brought me home. That was all I knew until I got a tutor, but when that happened, I learned how to read and write pretty quickly.” 

Looking at Lance, she gave him an apologetic look. “Am I talking too much?” 

“Not at all. I think this is the most I’ve ever heard you talk, actually, and it’s kind of nice.” 

Cass didn’t respond to that but continued, the words flowing out of her like a leak in a faucet. 

“My dad probably knows more about the process than me, so you can ask him what to do.” 

“I already talked to him, actually.” 

“About the adoption?”

“About a lot of things.” Lance shook his head. “Now that Eugene’s the Captain, your dad doesn’t really have anything to do. I’m helping him find a job.” 

Cassandra raised her eyebrows, a snarky look on her face. “Are you sure you’re the most qualified person for that job?” 

Lance put a hand over his heart in mock offense. “Excuse me, miss, I am a chef at the Snuggly Duckling! I have a very important job.” 

“Right.  _ Very _ important.” 

Before Lance could think of a good comeback, a bell rang in the distant, soft, but loud enough so they could both interpret its meaning. 

“Dinner,” Lance commented, getting up from his chair. “I’ll bring you back something afterward.” 

“You know what?” Cassandra threw off the remaining blankets, where she was still wearing the same clothes she’d been wearing for a few days. “I think I’ll come to dinner today.” 

Lance couldn’t help the pleasant surprise in his voice as he replied, “really?” 

Cassandra stood up and examined herself. “You go ahead. I should probably change first.” 

Letting out a chuckle, Lance nodded, smiling as he walked out of the room. 

He knew this new development wasn’t entirely thanks to him, but it felt good to think that he had at least some part in it. 

Dinner that night was lasagna, and, to Cassandra, it was one of the best meals she’d ever eaten. It was the first time in nearly a week that she’d had a hot meal that didn’t consist of mostly cheese and crackers, and it tasted like Heaven. 

Awestruck, Lance and Eugene watched as she asked for a third helping, which the cook was more than happy to provide. 

“I think this is the most I’ve ever seen Cass eat in one sitting,” Eugene remarked, whispering into Lance’s ear. 

Cassandra’s father, sitting on Lance’s other side, heard the comment and let out a chuckle. 

“You want to know something funny?” 

Both Lance and Eugene were more curious than they let on, and nodded their heads eagerly, in perfect unison. 

“She doesn’t even like lasagna.” 

After dinner, Cass collected her things from the medical wing and began to transfer them back to her room. There wasn’t much, just the stack of books she’d made her way through and her old clothes. She felt lighter then she had in a long time as she made her way through the hallway, making her way to her room. 

But that lightness died away as soon as she entered. 

The room was still incredibly messy, chock full of discarded laundry and half-eaten dinner plates. Cass winced at the smell and knew what she’d be doing for the rest of the evening. Generally, she was a pretty neat person, but that had all gone away in the past few weeks. 

Now, stomach full and mind empty of clattered thoughts, she was finally able to think back on the situation with a clear mind. 

She’d been worse off than she’d thought. She could look back now and realize that she’d been deteriorating, both in health and mental sanity. Now she realized that she’d let the guilt destroy her, let the realization of what she’d done consume her and let her believe that there was no meaning anymore, that she had no meaning. 

Everyone didn’t hate her. Not her father, not Rapunzel, not Varian. Not even Quirin. He may be mad at her, but that was justified. Cass could see now that he wasn’t just angry, he was scared. Scared that she’d snap again and hurt him or his son. 

And he was right to be afraid. Cassandra’s deterioration had only hurt her, but what if she’d resorted to alcohol, or drug use? Then she might have gone crazy without even knowing she was doing so. At the realization, she was thankful to her father for drilling the dangers of both of these substances into her head at a very young age. 

The memories of her early childhood began racing though her head, a pleasant thing to think about as she began placing dirty laundry in a basket to take to the handmaidens. They’d probably hate her for it, but she didn’t care. 

While cleaning up her room, scrubbing dirty dishes so the cook wouldn’t get mad at her as well, she went through the first fourteen years of her life in her head. The first four were a blurry mess of cleaning and insults, but once she got to her mother’s abandonment, she realized that this precise moment had really been the turning point in her life, when things had gone from just plain awful to decent to amazing. She’d believed for a while in the fact about that night being a living nightmare, and although all of the memories claimed it had been, it had really been a blessing in disguise. 

_ What if I were still living with Gothel?  _ she thought, shuddering at the thought.  _ Working my fingers to the bone day in and day out, and never getting appreciated for it.  _

One thing was for sure- she would never have had any happiness living with her birth mother, and that was a fact. 

The timeline in Cassandra’s head took her to the beginning of guard training, at the young age of only six years old, and things grew a lot better from there. She smiled at various memories beginning to come back, the acquisition of new skills and building up of new muscles. Her young childhood life had been bliss, spending most of it with her father or by herself, working on the things she really loved to do. 

But when she hit her early teenage years, the memories began to translate from happiness and delight to memories that caused her to shake with fear, remembering all of the drama that had gone down when she was only fourteen. She’d made a mistake, one stupid little mistake, and that mistake had nearly cost her her life. But even though she was still very much alive, it had cost her a lot of dignity and some of who she actually was. 

Yes, fourteen was when she’d started to become the hardened, concealed, insecure mess that had let jealousy and anger take over her life. 

Making her way back to her room, Cassandra recalled everything that had happened in the last ten years, one domino after another falling down into a huge heap until she wasn’t able to tell where the first one began. 

With all of the recollections piling up on top of one another, and the realization that she’d lost who she actually was, Cass began to wonder if there actually was a person down under all of the hardened stone that made up her inside self. 

Because sometimes, when you apply pressure, you find nothing worth writing home about. And maybe Cass herself was one of those cases. Maybe she really was nothing underneath all of the guilt and past mistakes and trauma that had caused her to become the adult she was right now. 

But other times, when you apply pressure, you find a diamond. 

Once you begin cleaning something, at least deep-cleaning, it’s hard to stop, and before Cass knew it, she was going through and organizing old boxes full of stuff she hadn’t used in years. Most of it was junk, toys she’d played with as a child, old shoes that hadn’t fit for fifteen years, little wooden swords her father had given her before she could be trusted with real ones. 

But at the bottom of a box she hadn’t even known was there, one stuffed back in her closet since who knows when, was something that caused her to take a second look. 

It was a notebook, dusty and yellowed, but still very much readable. Cass held it in her hands and turned to the first page, being careful not to tear the brittle pages. 

When she saw the contents, her heart leaped inside her chest, a wave of memories that had been pushed down to the bottom of her brain resurfacing. 

This notebook was her old diary. When Cass checked the date, it had been written sixteen years ago, when she was only eight years old. Her handwriting had gotten a lot more legible since then, but it was fine for an eight-year-old’s, and fairly easy to read. 

_ Dear Diary,  _ the first page read. 

_ I have decided to start a diary. In this diary I will write down things that happen, even if they are not very interesting. Maybe someday, when I read this diary, the things that are not interesting now will be very interesting.  _

Cassandra smiled at the irony written by her eight-year-old self, and continued reading through the first entry. 

_ Today was a boring day. Dad was out looking for the lost princess, again, and I spent the entire day by myself. I tried to tell him that the lost princess is probably dead since she’s been missing for four years, but he told me to stop being morbid. I don’t know what morbid means, but he uses that word a lot.  _

_ I don’t know if Dad will be back for dinner. If he’s not, I have to eat with all of the other people in the castle. I don’t like them. They try to ask me things that they should not care about. I hope Dad is back.  _

_ That is all for now.  _

Cass vaguely remembered her father always going out to look for the lost princess, telling her that he’d be back for dinner. And he was, most of the time. He was a man focused on his work, but he always made time for his daughter. 

She continued reading through, smiling at the little anecdotes. They were all so pure, so innocent, little adventures throughout the day that seemed so important at the time. She really had been a sweet little child, sometimes a bit morbid, but still, just an eight-year-old girl wanting to be loved. 

And loved she was. 

Everytime Cass read an entry about her father, it was written with clear meaning and recollection- her father loved her more than anyone else in the world. She was his girl, and he was her father. 

She raced through the entries, until she arrived at the last one. Although disappointed, it was growing dark, and she didn’t want to have to light a candle so she didn’t strain her eyes. 

_ Dear Diary,  _

_ This will be my last entry. Today is my ninth birthday, and Dad said that when I am ten he will train me on more advanced skills. I have to make sure I am ready for these skills, and so I won’t have time to write.  _

_ I think that when I am older, if I’m not on the Guard, I want to leave Corona. Not because I want to run away, but because I have already seen a lot of this city and I want to see more of the world. Maybe I can go off and live on my own for a few years, and go around the world, seeing places like Koto and Equis and not having anyone to tell me what to do.  _

_ That is just a thought.  _

_ I don’t have anything else to say.  _

Cassandra kept the page open, reading it over and over again. 

She couldn’t believe what she’d found. 

This was it. This was the diamond she’d been looking for. 

To think that her nine-year-old self had been wiser than herself fifteen years later. 

Of course. That was what she would do. 

She would have to leave Corona. 

Not permanently. Just like her diary had dictated, she’d go out and live on her own for a few years, seeing places that she’d always wanted to see. It would be the perfect solution. Maybe she could find herself again, find her real self that had written about this plan in the first place. 

She couldn’t wait to get started, couldn’t wait to see what the outside world had in store for her. 

And maybe… 

This was just a thought… 

Maybe she’d find her own destiny. A destiny apart from the Guard, apart from Corona, and even apart from those she loved. 

Or, maybe she’d realize that her place was in Corona. 

Who knew?

At any rate, she would finally know. Finally find out who exactly she was supposed to be. 

Cassandra smiled, thought for a moment, and took out another notebook. 

It was time to begin planning. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three more chapters left... thank you so much for all the support! Keep the comments coming, it's great to get all of the encouragement!


	13. Chapter Thirteen

“Rapunzel?” 

Cassandra was relieved to see when she walked into the princess’ room that Eugene was nowhere to be found. She didn’t harbor the same dislike for him that she used to, but still, she wanted to talk to Rapunzel alone. 

Rapunzel’s face brightened as she turned to look at her friend. “Hi, Cass! Are you feeling better?” 

Just like Rapunzel to jump right to caring. Cassandra smiled, her heart racing as she knew what she was about to tell her. 

“A lot better, actually.” 

“That’s good.”

Cass sat down on Rapunzel’s bed, her palms sweating in anticipation. “Actually, Rapunzel, I want to tell you something.” 

“Okay.” 

Taking a deep breath, Cass closed her eyes. She didn’t want to see the hurt in Rapunzel’s eyes when she told her the plan she’d formulated. Without psyching herself out of it, she just began talking, hoping the right words would spill out eventually. 

“I’m leaving Corona.” 

Cassandra didn’t see it, but Rapunzel’s eyes widened, filling with tears she tried to keep back. 

“I think it’s what’s best. I’m not leaving forever, just for a couple of years. I’ll travel around the world, see things I’ve always wanted to see and, I don’t know, find myself, I guess? Because here, in Corona, everywhere I look, there’s something that I destroyed once, or someone who wishes I were dead, or locked in jail. And I know that’s my own fault, but I can’t move past everything if I don’t keep being reminded of it day to day.”

She opened her eyes to look at Rapunzel’s reaction. And, to her surprise, the princess was smiling. Not offended, not disappointed or sad, but smiling. She was on the brink of tears, but Cass knew enough about her friend to know that these weren’t tears of fear or anger. It was the same way she smiled when someone fulfilled their dream. The way she had looked when Hookfoot went off to become a dancer alongside his brother, or when she told everyone back at the castle how Ruthless Ruth had gotten her song played aloud in the pub like she’d always wanted. 

“I think that’s a really good idea,” she replied. “Really, I do.” 

“You do?” 

“Yeah! I mean, I’ll miss you. A lot. But I agree with you. It’s for the best.” 

It was like a weight had gotten lifted from Cassandra’s chest. She’d been so worried, worried that Rapunzel would get angry, not wanting her to leave and thinking she was a traitor all over again for wanting to. Or, on the opposite end of the spectrum, she could have been relieved. Cass’ mind had been haunted with images of Rapunzel, heaving a sigh of relief that she wouldn’t have to look in the face of the woman who’d nearly killed her. 

But deep down, she was still Rapunzel. Even though she was a bit sad, and maybe even a bit mad that it had to come to this, she understood. Because Rapunzel understood people in a deeper way than Cassandra ever could, sometimes more than Cassandra even understood herself. When she talked to her about something the rare times she did it, Rapunzel was able to break down her thoughts into things that made sense, transform them from a huge globby mess to a solidified, organized system that worked. Feelings didn’t make sense to a linear person like Cassandra. But to someone like Rapunzel, they were the driving force behind her being; understanding her own feelings and helping other people understand theirs. 

“When are you going to leave?”

Cass shrugged. “I don’t know. As soon as I’m ready, I guess.” 

“I can help you pack.” 

“I would like that.” Unexpectedly, Cass let out a chuckle. “I don’t even know what I’m going to bring yet. Enough so that I won’t, well, die, but little enough so that I’m not weighed down.” 

“Hmm.” Rapunzel tapped the paintbrush she was still holding against her lips. “Tomorrow, let’s go shopping. We’ll find things that you should bring with you and sort out the things you don’t need.” 

Even though Cass hated shopping more than she hated doing laundry, she smiled and nodded. This was different. This wasn’t like one of the trips the handmaidens had begrudgingly invited her on when she was younger, trips where they’d stop for fifteen minutes to simply freak out over one particular neckline of one particular dress. This was planning about her future, deciding what she would need to have for the next few years of her life. No, this wasn’t a trip where she would drag her feet the whole time and escape into Xavier’s shop as soon as she could get away. She was looking forward to every second of this, to every item she’d get her hands on. But especially, she needed to spend some quality time with her best friend in the world before she left for who knows how long. 

“What time?” she asked, smiling as she tried to keep the inevitable tears from coming to her eyes. 

“As early as possible,” Rapunzel replied. “Right after breakfast?” 

“Sounds good.” Cass got up from the bed, checking the clock. She was planning to meet Lance and the girls for lunch. “See you then.” 

Rapunzel may have been inept with social cues three years ago, but now, she was just as experienced as any princess ought to be. She smiled, and, taking the sign from Cass, prepared to get back to painting. But there was one thing she had to say first.

“Cass?” 

Cassandra turned around in the door frame, her eyes forming the question she didn’t say aloud. 

“I’m glad you’re eating breakfast again.” 

She smiled, a sheepish grin that proved she’d gotten over the whole thing. At least, mostly. 

“I’m sorry, Rapunzel.” 

“For what? I mean, I know the pool you have to choose from, but what specifically?” 

“Everything. I was a power hungry jerk and then I turned into a pathetic idiot who couldn’t take care of myself.” 

Rapunzel stood up and walked over to her friend, putting a caring hand on her arm. “Cass, how many times are you going to apologize before you know I forgive you?” 

Shaking her head, Cassandra couldn’t meet Rapunzel’s eyes. “Maybe when I come back. At least, by then, I hope I’ll be able to forgive myself.” 

The princess simply nodded, any doubt she’d had about Cassandra’s decision being erased by that simple sentence. 

“You wanted to see me, Your Majesty?” 

Frederic looked up from the puzzle he was assembling and smiled at the curious, slightly worried-looking young woman who’d just entered his corridors. His face was friendly, but that didn’t ease Cassandra’s beating heart one bit. 

“Yes, Cassandra. Please, sit down.” 

Cass hesitated a moment and then slid into the chair across from Frederic, her pounding heart nearly making her dizzy. Closing her eyes, she took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves and opened them, immediately looking down at the puzzle, her mind whirling with the sudden burst of information. 

Both Frederic and Cassandra began speaking at once. Cass, knowing what was respectful around royalty, closed her mouth and gestured for him to continue, which the king did with a smile. 

“Rapunzel told me you were planning on leaving Corona once your service is completed,” he began, and Cassandra’s heart dropped into her toes. Was he going to reprimand her? After all, he had said that her work may not necessarily be finished once her group was done with the house repairs. 

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Cass stuttered, picking up a puzzle piece and turning it in her fingers. “That, that is, if that’s, well, okay with you, Your Majesty.”

“You don’t have to be so afraid. I’d like for us to be friends.” 

This comment had the opposite effect that Frederic wanted. Cassandra froze in her seat, her hand poised midair, wondering whether she should run, fight, or simply stay still. After all, the last time someone had told Cass that she wanted to be friends with her, she’d turned out to be a demon intending to use her in her evil world domination scheme. Cassandra didn’t think Frederic had any intentions of conquering the world, but, then again, she hadn’t suspected that of Zhan Tiri either. 

Frederic tried again. “The reason why I’ve called you here, Cassandra, is to apologize.” 

“With all due respect, Your Majesty, I’m the one that should be apologizing to you.” 

“Rapunzel told me you’d have a reaction like this,” Frederic replied, half to himself. “But I want you to hear me out. Even before the whole… incident, I neglected to acknowledge everything you did for this kingdom. While trying to regain my memories, Rapunzel told me all of her adventures, including the ways you helped, fighting Varian, Hubert, and even the witch of an art teacher she had.” 

Cass didn’t know how to respond to that, so she didn’t say anything. 

“And, afterwards, I didn’t get you the help that I promised, and that you needed. No offense.” 

“None taken.” Although Cassandra’s mind was focused on what Frederic was saying, her eyes were focused on the puzzle, and she picked up another piece, popping it into place. 

“I was looking for that one,” he commented, and Cassandra’s cheeks flooded with heat. She put her hand back down and looked back up. 

“Sorry.” 

“You don’t have to apologize.” Frederic was beginning to see what Rapunzel had meant when she had told him Cassandra’s post-Moonstone habit, which was apologizing for anything and everything. 

“Anyway, I wish you all the best on your journey,” he continued. “And I want to let you know that you are released from your duties.” 

Cass’ eyes snapped to attention. “What do you mean?” 

“You don’t have to be a handmaiden anymore. I understand that I never officially released you from your work, but now, you don’t have to have any ties to working for royalty. And after you and your coworkers are finished, you won’t have to do anymore work for punishment.” 

“Really?” 

Frederic smiled. “What kind of a king would I be if I didn’t keep my promises? That’s a lesson I had to learn the hard way.” 

“I can relate to that.” 

The king stood up, extending his hand to Cassandra. “Rapunzel will be expecting letters from you.” 

Cass shook his hand, standing up as fast as she could. “I won’t disappoint.” 

And as she left the room, he didn’t for one second think she was lying. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one took so long! The scene with Frederic and Cass took me a while to write. As always, tell me what you think, and I'll see you in the next update!


	14. Chapter Fourteen

“Can I have the yellow, Cassandra?” 

Cass handed Quirin the paint he’d asked for and wiped the sweat from her brow. Just under half an hour left of her last day of work. Within just a couple of weeks, she’d be leaving, going out to find her place in this vast world. The thought was terrifying but also exhilarating, and goosebumps rose on her arms whenever she thought of it. They were nearly done with their last house, a snug little yellow-and-white cottage on the edge of town that had only been grazed by the rocks and therefore didn’t need a huge amount of renovation. 

She was in quite a good mood today, the fact of nearly being done with work one of the main reasons. But Quirin was also being surprisingly cordial to her. She’d only been back at work for a couple of days now after The Incident, as she’d begun to call it internally, and he’d been pretty much his normal self around her again. Not any of the coldness or hard stares still remained in his attitude to her after she’d fainted. 

Today, though, today was different. He actually seemed to be making an effort to be friendly to her, giving her a grin when she looked in his direction or complimenting the work she’d done on the house. It might have been just the prospect of being finished with their service- that made everyone happy- but Cass nearly dared to hope that this meant he’d forgiven her. 

Varian, on the other hand, was distracted and gloomy, spending minutes at a time staring into space and not working. She’d tried to give him a friendly nod or smile when he looked in her direction, but the boy just looked away whenever she did. Perhaps they’d switched personalities. 

But, no, she knew exactly what Varian was upset about. Just yesterday, Cassandra had made the big announcement, dropping a huge bomb on all of her friendships that were just beginning to recover. Most of her friends had the same reaction to the news. Eugene, Lance and the girls were all sorry that they wouldn’t see her for such a long time, but understood her motives and thought it would be a great opportunity for her. 

Varian, though, wouldn’t even talk to her or anyone about it, having simply excused himself from the table and gone home early. Cassandra had seen him later when she went to Xavier’s shop for supplies, sitting alone in the nearby fields, Ruddiger in his lap. She’d considered going over to talk to him, but eventually decided against it, although she wished now that she had. Out of all of her friends (besides Rapunzel, of course, and she’d taken the news better than Cass had expected), Varian felt things the most deeply. He’d probably taken this to heart, making up some story that pegged her departure as his own fault. 

“Can I have the white?” 

Varian didn’t even seem to hear her question, staring at nothing as he played with his gloves. 

“Varian? The white?” 

This startled the boy out of his fantasy, and he shook his head like a wet dog. It took him a second to let her words sink in, and when he did, he picked up the paint and handed it to her, refusing to meet her eyes. 

When she began to paint, however, Cassandra could feel his eyes on her, watching everything she did with intensity. Cass pretended not to notice, but in reality, she was slightly put off by the staring. 

Finally, Varian snapped. 

“We just got you back and now you’re gonna leave again!” he burst out. 

“I told you why, Varian. And it’s not like I’m leaving forever. I’ll be back.” 

“In a couple of years!” Tears stained his eyes as he finally met her gaze. “Cass, you have no idea how much I couldn’t stand it when you were gone. It wasn’t the same around here. Everything’s going to be different.” 

Cassandra stopped working for a second and just looked at him, not wanting to say anything that would hurt him, but not wanting to just stay quiet, either. 

“I didn’t even get to spend time with you besides when we’re doing work,” he complained even more, and Cass felt her heart sinking. “But you were usually so out of it that it took all day to get a single word out of you. And now that you’re finally better, and work’s almost over, I thought that we could do something together, but you’ll have to be packing and getting ready to leave.” 

Putting the paintbrush down, Cass stepped closer to her friend, giving him a warm smile. She put her hands on his shoulders and bent down slightly, just enough so that he’d be forced to look into her eyes. He may have grown since before they left, but he was still short for a sixteen year-old. 

“I’m sorry it has to be like this,” she began without thinking, mentally scolding herself for the words. “But you’ve seen the way people look at me, like they’re scared I’m going to hurt them. And I don’t blame them.” 

“I’m not scared.” 

“I know you’re not.” Cass could feel Quirin’s eyes burning into her back, but whether that stare was with guilt or anger, she couldn’t tell. “But there are a lot of people that are. If I leave for a couple of years and give the whole thing some space, things are going to be better. Maybe not completely better, but at least I’ll be able to go places without feeling like a criminal.” 

Varian nodded. Cassandra could tell that he understood, but that didn’t take away any of the pain. 

“But, listen. I don’t leave for a couple of weeks, and I’m not going to spend all that time packing. What do you say we make sure to spend some time together at least twice a week, maybe more?” 

The boy’s eyes brightened at this comment, and he nodded once more. 

“How about lunch? Tomorrow?” 

“Just the two of us?” 

Cassandra grinned. “Just the two of us.” 

Finally giving in, Varian smiled. He broke out of Cass’ grip on his shoulders to wrap his arms around her waist in a tight hug. Cassandra was barely tall enough to rest her chin on his head, but she did anyway, standing slightly on her tiptoes to make it more comfortable. 

When Varian finally broke away from the hug, he was still smiling. “I hope that, whatever it is you’re looking for, you find it.” 

“Me too.” 

“What are you looking for?” 

Cass shrugged. “I don’t know. But I do know that I’ll know when I find it.” Suddenly, a thought struck her, and she reached out, tousling Varian’s hair in the way he pretended to hate, but he knew she actually liked. “Maybe when I come back, you’ll be taller than me.” 

Even though Cass would have thought it impossible for Varian’s grin to grow any wider, it did. “Maybe I will be. Then I’ll be the one calling you short.” 

At that, the clock struck twelve, a sudden jolt back into reality in the middle of this lovely moment. Varian’s shoulders sagged, but he held his head high, still grinning as he looked Cass straight in the eyes. 

“See you tomorrow?” he asked, his eyes shining with hope. 

“Of course.” 

Varian took the paintbrushes and ran off to the river to wash them, his ever-present raccoon struggling to keep up on his pudgy little legs. Cass crossed her arms and leaned against a dry part of the now-completely-painted house as she watched the two of them run off, smiling to herself. 

“Cassandra, may I speak with you for a minute?” 

Nearly jumping out of her skin at the sudden voice, Cass turned around to see Quirin standing there, looking -to her surprise- a bit shy. 

“Yeah,” she stuttered out, once she’d gotten past the surprise. 

“I would just like to say that I’m sorry.” 

Without a response to that sudden of an apology, Cass simply stood there, her feet frozen to the ground.  _ No, you’re not the one who should be sorry,  _ was her first instinctual reply, but she held her tongue, remembering that everyone she said this to normally got mad. 

“I wasn’t kind to you. Not at all. My son tried to tell me that you’ve reformed yourself after everything that occurred, but I didn’t listen to him. I thought that, by holding a grudge, I could make things okay. I neglected to consider that two wrongs never make a right, and you deserve to be forgiven just as much as my son does.” 

Quirin stuck out his hand toward her, his eyes kind. “Will you forgive me?” 

Cassandra nodded, a bit longer than necessary, feeling like a huge weight had been lifted from her. A weight that she hadn’t even known she carried but, now that it was off, was a relief she wouldn’t want to lose. 

“Yes, sir. I do.” 

She shook his hand, one strong, firm shake and let go, smiling at him with the smile she reserved for friends. 

When they’d gone for a good ten seconds without talking, Cass picked up her own paintbrush. “I’ll go tell Xavier that we’ve finished.” 

Quirin nodded, looking at his feet. 

“Thank you for being so kind to Varian. He needs it.” 

“He’s a good kid,” Cass replied, “And we understand each other in a way no one else could.” 

Although Quirin didn’t reply to this comment, Cassandra knew he understood. “I wish you all the best on your journey.” 

“Thank you.” 

“My son will be expecting you to write,” he commented with a chuckle. 

“I will. As often as I can without becoming annoying.” 

Quirin smiled and shook his head. “To him, you could never become annoying.” 

Cassandra didn’t doubt that for one second. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter...


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is... the final chapter... I really hope y'all enjoy it!

“You’re really leaving today.”

It was voiced more like a question than a comment, but Cass knew that Varian was just saying his thoughts aloud. 

“Yeah.” 

Varian continued to watch her pack some last-minute items into her bag, stuffing some bug repellent concoctions he’d made as well as pastries Attila had sent over as a goodbye from all of the Pub Thugs. Although Cass tried to make herself believe that she’d save them, she knew the majority of them would probably be gone by the end of this day. 

It was early in the morning, so early the sun was just beginning to peek out from the mountains in the distance, but both Varian and Cassandra were already dressed and ready for the very different days they were about to have. Varian was wearing his usual outfit and gloves, but Cassandra’s outfit was another matter entirely. 

She’d been careful in choosing what she was going to wear for this trip, something sturdy but not too bulky, good for both hot days and cool nights. A green tunic had provided the perfect solution, with thin but durable fabric and a good color for remaining unseen, if necessary. Xavier had been a lot of help in the rest of the ensemble, providing both a belt useful for storing several weapons and a cape with many secret pockets. Cass wondered if he’d had help from someone who was still storing a lot of vengeance on the design, since the clasp looked exactly like the Moonstone had, albeit a different color. It was the same ovular shape and had a tiny sliver cut out, just the same as the stone. Whatever the case, accident or vengeful, Cass didn’t mind. It was a good reminder as to why she was out here in the first place. 

As for the rest of the outfit, she’d picked it out herself: mismatched gloves to suit the hand that had been burnt, to protect it from any such accident again. Although she’d been healed by the mighty power of the Sundrop, chances were that such a powerful source of healing magic didn’t grow on trees, and so she had to be careful. It had been her father’s idea to wrap a bit of her torn-in-a-fit-of-rage handmaiden headpiece around her arm, as soldiers did when they went off to battle to remind themselves of their homeland. She added the tiny little bag she always had with her to the belt, and slipped on a brand-new pair of leggings underneath the entire ensemble. Even more than she ever had, she felt like a warrior, ready to face whatever came with the newfound courage she’d only recently developed. 

Varian certainly noticed the change in outfit, and certainly found it quite attractive, but decided not to say anything. He didn’t want to do anything to leave things on a bad note between them. That had already happened once before, and it had been the worst year of his life. For many reasons, sure, but that was one of them. 

He fingered the little necklace he held in his pocket, hoping that didn’t count as something that would damage their friendship. After all, right after he’d given it to her for the first time had been when they’d agreed to work on the black rock mystery together… and everything had fallen to pieces. 

Varian swallowed, trying to push down his fear, and turned to Cassandra once more. 

“I have, uh, something for you.” 

She turned around from attaching her bag to Fidella and smiled at him. “You didn’t have to do that, Varian.” 

“Well, I wanted to. Close your eyes.” 

Cass obediently closed her eyes and put out her hands, knowing how these things went down. Varian pulled the Cassandrium necklace from his pocket, newly polished, and dropped it in her hand, biting his bottom lip in anticipation. 

“Can I open them?” 

“Oh! Uh, yeah.” 

Opening her eyes, the hand that wasn’t holding the necklace immediately flew to Cass’ dropped-open mouth. “Oh, my goodness,” she breathed. 

“Do you- what do you think?” 

“Where did you find this?” Her voice came out in a whisper and she had to do everything in her power to avoid crying. _You can’t cry in front of Varian, Cass. Not in front of him. Not now._

“While you were gone, Crowley tried to put all your stuff in storage.”

“Of course she did,” Cass muttered, mostly to herself. 

“But I guess Rapunzel wouldn’t let her,” Varian continued. “Rapunzel was going through a box of your things, and she gave this to me. But now I’m giving it to you.” 

“Again.” 

Varian nodded, having to blink back a few tears himself. 

“Will you do the honors?” Cass asked, pulling back her hair with one hand and holding out the necklace with the other. 

Although he had to stand on tiptoes to do it, Varian fastened the necklace around her neck, pride emanating from ever part of him. 

“I’m gonna miss you, kid.” Cass put a hand on Varian’s shoulder and smiled, although her smile wavered with a bittersweet type of fondness that only came with goodbyes. 

“I’ll miss you too, Cassie. My… my dad told me that you said you’d write.” 

“And I will. As often as I can to avoid wearing Owl out.” Hearing his name, Owl swooped down from the sky and landed on Cassandra’s head. “He’s my courier.” 

“Thanks, buddy.” Varian scratched the owl’s head, smiling at him. Owl was suspicious, but he let the boy pet him. He seemed innocent enough. 

“Well, my dad wants me to leave before 9:00, so I’ll get to the closest city before nightfall.” 

“Okay.” Varian gave her a huge grin, smiling as he leaned forward to hug her one last time. “Goodbye.” 

Cass hugged him back and, this time, put both of her hands on his shoulders so she could look straight into his face. “I’ll be back. I promise.” 

“I know.” Varian began to walk away, but then turned around again, as if one goodbye wasn’t enough. “Goodbye, Cassandra. I’ll miss you every second, but I know it’s for the best.” 

“Goodbye, Varian.” 

Varian gave her one last smile and walked away, to where his father was waiting for him. 

Cass watched them leave, and once they’d become no more than a speck in the distance, she checked the sky and looked at the castle. She had time for one more goodbye. 

Or maybe two. 

She hadn’t planned on the second, but when Lance came rushing in and gave her a big bear hug from behind, she immediately knew how much she’d miss him as well as everyone else.

“Take care of yourself out there.” Lance let go and put a hand on her shoulder, looking down at her from the vast height advantage he had on her.

“I will.” 

“You’ll write?” 

“Sure.” It hadn’t even occurred to her to write to Lance, but now she knew his letters would provide a lot of entertainment while she was out on the open road. 

Lance’s smile softened as he continued to look at her. “I’ll miss you. So will the girls. Catalina was just telling me how much she wants to get to know you.” 

“Tell her to write. I’ll write back.” The list of people Cass would have to correspond with was gradually growing, but she didn’t mind. 

“Great. I will. But, Cass… you will be back?” 

“Of course I will.” 

“I just don’t want you to have such a good time out there doing as you please that you’ll never come back. I know I would. At least, a couple years back, I would.” 

Cass put her hand over Lance’s that sat on her shoulder, smiling as reassuringly as she could. “No matter what is out there, my friends and my family, the people I love, will always be here. I’ll come back. I promise that.” 

“Good. Well, I don’t want to keep you waiting, so…” He bent down and hugged her again, this time spinning around so her feet lifted off the floor. Her breath taken away from her, she held onto him as tightly as she could, a small laugh escaping her lips. 

When Lance put her down, he put one hand on her head, playfully tousling her hair, then shot her one of his signature smiles. “Goodbye, Cassandra. I wish you all the best out there, and I hope that you find whatever it is you’re looking for.” 

“Me too. Goodbye, Lance.” 

Cassandra gave him a smile and turned around, walking back towards Rapunzel’s room. He could feel his eyes watching her as she left, and was filled with more of the same bittersweet feeling as before, trying to push it down so she didn’t cry. At least, not yet.

“Well, that’s right, _Eugediles._ ” 

Cass chuckled as she heard Rapunzel’s voice drifting from her room. So she hadn’t given up the nickname endeavour yet. Eugene didn’t seem to like this suggestion, and neither did she. He groaned and shook his head. 

For a second, Cassandra didn’t want to enter during such a private moment, but she knew Cass would never get over it if she didn’t tell her before she was leaving. 

“Yeah, yeah, you’re right. I’ll keep working on the nickname.” 

Cass laughed again, this time audibly as she entered the room. Those two. She would certainly miss them, but at least they had this one last moment together. “Oh, I could come up with a couple of choice names for him.” 

Eugene and Rapunzel both looked up, and the former smiled as he walked toward her, Pascal on his shoulder. “Well, would you look at that, Cassandra’s back to normal. Dark and icy as ever.”

How many times had he called her that? Cassandra couldn’t count it, but although she pretended to hate it, it was part of what made her and Eugene… her and Eugene. Always bickering like a pair of siblings. He really was a brother to her. 

“But Cass…” Eugene came up to her, beaming at her like a big brother would look at his little sister. “You were worth fighting for.” 

Cass’ brain stopped working for a second, overwhelmed by the sheer amount of love that all of these people, who she’d hurt so badly, still had for her, even despite that. “I, uh…” She tried desperately to think of a good response, but nothing she could possibly say would describe the overwhelming amount of emotions racing through her right now. 

“I missed you too, Eugene.” 

Not wanting to think about how much she’d still miss them after she left, she turned to the chameleon on his shoulder. “Look after them, Pascal.” The little guy nuzzled her finger, smiling his toothless little grin up at her. “Something tells me they’re gonna need it.”

Knowing how they’d need to have this moment alone, Eugene left the room, swallowing the lump in his throat. He could see Cass’ dad waiting out there for her, ready to see her off once she was done with goodbyes. 

“Any idea where you’re headed?”

Rapunzel stepped forward, smiling completely genuinely as she awaited Cassandra’s response. 

“You know,” Cass began, stepping forward. “Someone very wise once told me that there is more in me. And it’s telling me I need to go out there and find my own destiny.” She looked out the window, where the rolling hills and beautiful morning sunlight were beckoning to her, opening the door to so many possibilities about what waited. Rapunzel looked too, her heart sinking and rising at the same time. 

“It’s funny, this whole time I believed your place was here, in Corona, with me.” She looked straight at her friend, blinking back tears. “But as much as I hate to let you go, I know you’re right.”

Cassandra smiled, knowing that there was something she absolutely had to say before she left.

“I love you, Raps.” 

And it was true. Rapunzel was the best friend she’d ever had, the only friend that had gone to such lengths to get her back. Cass had messed up friendships under her belt, that was true, but Rapunzel was the only one that cared enough to track her down, even when she thought she didn’t want to be found. 

“I love you too, Cass.” 

The two of them embraced, Cass trying to make up for all of the lost time and the time to follow with more intense of a hug than she’d ever felt comfortable with. Rapunzel really loved her. Not only did she have a best friend, she was considered a best friend, which was more than she’d ever thought she’d get. As a kid, she’d always considered herself the outcast, the one who wouldn’t ever have a place to belong. But now she did, and even though she nearly messed it up, she was still welcome, and that was enough to overwhelm her. She’d certainly have a lot to think about while on the open road. 

Cassandra didn’t know whether it was her or Rapunzel that let go first, but, whatever the case, they both knew it was time for her to leave. Stepping over the rubble that still remained in Rapunzel’s room (although she didn’t know why the castle hadn’t been the first thing to be cleaned up), a glint of light hit Cass in the eye. She grinned and picked up the cause: Rapunzel’s crown. 

Although her own destiny was still up in the air, Rapunzel’s was clear. It always had been. 

To send a final message, Cass tossed the crown to her friend, who caught it with a surprised expression. 

“Speaking of destinies, what are you waiting for?” 

She joined her father, standing at the door to see her off, and gave Rapunzel one final smile before going to seek the unknown. 

It would be hard to leave this all behind, but when she came back, she’d be a new and better person, someone who could enjoy all of this more than before. 

Her dad put an arm around her shoulder, and she leaned into him as they walked, allowing herself one last embrace before she was on her own for a while. 

“I’m scared.” 

She didn’t know where that comment came from, and she didn’t know whether she was more scared to seek the unknown or to leave all of the known behind. 

“That’s okay. It’s to be expected, when you’re seeking your destiny.” 

“Thanks, Dad.” 

Her father didn’t reply, but simply held her tighter, turning his head so she didn’t see his tears. 

The two of them arrived at Fidella, where everything was ready, and they both knew it was time. Cassandra’s father pulled her into his arms and kissed her head before letting go, stepping back as if to say that he knew she was on her own now. 

“I’m very proud of you, sweetheart.” 

Cassandra mounted her horse, who whinnied and pranced, excited for the trip. 

“I love you, Dad.” 

“I love you too.” 

Settling herself in the saddle, Cass couldn’t wait for one second more. She pulled on the reins, giving the horse the signal to go. 

And go was what she did. They rode through the streets, reaching the border of Corona in only a few minutes. Cass didn’t know if Rapunzel had planned it, but even if she did, it meant the world to her to see so many people lining the streets to see her off. They were all there, Xavier, Quirin, Adira, Hector, Monty, Feldspar… even Crowley. Some looked happier than others, but still, they were there. Everyone was encouraging her as she sought her destiny. Her true destiny, one that didn’t involve stealing someone else’s. 

Pete and Stan opened the gate for her and Fidella raced out of Corona, immediately surrounded by the lush forest that just surrounded it. There were so many memories here, including the time when Rapunzel’s hair had grown back. 

Cass wiped a lone tear from her eye and set her mind on what was to come, giddiness rushing up inside of her. 

This was it. This was her time to find her destiny. 

And with Owl flying above, Fidella beneath her, and the wind racing through her hair, she couldn’t have been more ready to set off on this new adventure, this new chapter of her life. One without rules, one without boundaries, nothing to try to trap her in or tell her what she was supposed to be. Just the wind, the fresh air and the wild scenery, she was completely free. 

This was it. 

This was her time to find her destiny. 

Cass smiled once more, and raced Fidella on as she set forward to shape the future she was supposed to live. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that's that. Wow. This is one of my favorite fics I've ever written, I'm really proud with how it turned out! Thank you so much for all of your support, it's what gave me the inspiration to keep going! You all are amazing, and I wish I could thank each one of you specifically! 
> 
> So... what do you guys think I should do next? I have a pre-written fic about Cassandra pre-series that I would love to post here if enough people are interested. Do you have any ideas for anything else? Would you prefer a one-shot or a multi-chapter fic? Please let me know your suggestions and tell me what you think! 
> 
> Have a great day and God bless you all!


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